


In Due Time

by Jarl_Deathwolf



Series: Miraculous: Tales of Chat Noir and Red Beetle [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste Knows, Adrien Agreste Needs Help, Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Bittersweet Ending, Chat Noir Alone, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Guardian Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Halloween Costumes, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Light Angst, Marichat May 2020, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette wasn't Ladybug, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 30,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23952835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarl_Deathwolf/pseuds/Jarl_Deathwolf
Summary: For eight years, Chat Noir and Red Beetle have been fighting to bring Hawkmoth to justice. But after so many years with no progress to show for their efforts, there are rumors that the Red Beetle has given up crime fighting.Alone and without even a partner to rely on and all the while facing increasingly more dangerous akumas, Chat Noir has to find someone worthy of taking up the ladybug miraculous.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Miraculous: Tales of Chat Noir and Red Beetle [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768573
Comments: 1078
Kudos: 687





	1. Witch AU

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my entry for Marichat May 2020 - In Due Time! Figuring out an idea for this fic was an exhausting journey and I must've gone through nine or ten different ideas before inspiration struck and I ended up with this one. I've very excited to tell this story, and I hope you will like reading it just as much as I did writing it.

Marinette stood in the bus with a handful of strangers, most of whom were sending her curious glances. That didn’t surprise her too much and she couldn’t blame them, even if it was making her a little self conscious. Paris might be a large, cosmopolitan city, but even so, someone dressed like a witch at sundown was sure to attract attention. 

As she clenched her hands against her heavy skirt, Marinette was glad she’d at least designed her outfit to be practical. Having to endure all this scrutiny while freezing in the late October weather might have caused her to just head right back home before even reaching the party. And having to keep track of a purse while holding onto her prop broomstick would’ve been just awful. Another benefit to being a designer - she could add pockets to whatever she wanted. 

It came as a huge relief when she got off the bus and started seeing more people in costume. At least she wasn’t sticking out in the crowd any more. Although now she was wondering just how many people were going to be showing up to Alya’s party. For all that talk about how Marinette went overboard with things, Alya could certainly keep up with the craziest that Marinete could pull and then some. 

Maybe it was because of all the traffic the Cat Chat had been seeing. It had never really died down since those early years in lycee - the opposite, actually. The longer Hawkmoth’s war on Paris dragged on, the more that Chat Noir and Red Beetle were put into the spotlight and lauded. Or critiqued, Marinette admitted with a frown. That last article she had read had been scathing, but Alya had been quick to rip it to shreds on the Cat Chat. 

As she stepped into the building after flashing her VIP ticket to the doorman, there was no doubt in her mind that the now infamous article was why there were so many people wearing costumes of Paris’s heroes today. Well - wearing costumes of _Chat Noir_ , that is. 

“Girl!”

Marinette looked around, clutching her broomstick tightly. She smiled when she saw Alya, wearing a female version of the Chat Noir costume, bulldoze her way through the crowded floor. 

“Alya!” The two women kissed cheeks and hugged. “It’s been a few days, how have you been?”

“Crazy and frantic,” Alya said with a laugh. “But you know I wouldn’t have it any other way, girl.” She took a step back and walked around Marinette. “And look at you! You really went all out with this costume, huh?”

“What was I gonna do?” Marinette said with a smirk. “ _Not_ splurge for my bestie’s Halloween party?”

“I appreciate it, M. It helps the atmosphere.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “Especially with how tacky some of these costumes are. But hey!” Her voice returned to her usual volume again. “I can’t expect everyone to have a snazzy outfit for the first annual Cat Chat Halloween party.”

“You’re obsessed.” Marinette giggled.

“Why shouldn’t we get to have some Halloween fun too? Trust me, this is the start of something great.” Alya glanced behind her and cursed. “Or at least it would if people would stop trashing things. Sorry for bailing, but foods over there,” she jerked a thumb over her shoulder as she started edging away from Marinette. “Have fun! Socialize!”

And just like that Marinette was alone again.

Now, Marinette wasn’t a shy wallflower by any stretch of the imagination. But this was a perfect storm of eroded confidence that she had emerged into. The lingering stares on the bus. The press of people all around her. The fact that she knew literally no one here except for Alya. Which was surprising, at least until she remembered that Nino was busy today with a gig on the other side of town. He may not understand his girlfriend’s obsession, but at least he was supportive.

Regardless, it all piled up on her until she found herself floating at the edges of the party, using the big buffet table and the wall at her back as a buffer against the giant throng of people. 

“Pretty big turn out, isn’t it?”

Marinette just about jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice just behind her, causing her pointy black hat to fall over her eyes. As she fumbled her broomstick and drink to try and fix it, she felt it be lifted and placed carefully back on top of her head. 

“Sorry about that, little witch,” came the voice again and now she could see vibrant green eyes like shining emeralds looking down at her. Down because the person they belonged to was so tall, even lounging against the wall like he was. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No sweat,” she replied mechanically, her designer eyes already at work sweeping over his outfit. It turned out to be the sixth Chat Noir costume of the night, but she could hardly complain. It was leaps and bounds better than the usual cheap stuff that she’d been seeing all night. 

“See something you like?” There was a teasing lilt in his voice. Her eyes rose back to his and she saw the flirty smirk he was wearing. 

“Sorry, I was just admiring your costume. It is definitely the most accurate one I’ve seen all night.”

“Are you something of a Chat Noir expert?” He asked, an amused glint in his eyes. 

“Well, I’m a designer so I have an eye for those sorts of things. Everyone remembers the ears and tail, and most people remember the bell,” she flicked his, delighted that it had a pleasant metallic ring. “Getting the size of the bell, the leather-like quality of the ears and tail - those are common mistakes.” 

“Well, if I’m going to be Chat Noir, I may as well go the full distance, right?” Again there was a playful look in his expression, like there was a joke he wasn’t sharing. 

“Yeah, but most people don’t even realize that the super suits are made up of tiny hexagons,” she said, pointing at the miniscule figures making up his costume. “How do they even _do_ that? Heck, how did _you_?”

Chuckling, he shook his head. “You must be a really big fan then, huh? Like you said, most people don’t know that trivia.”

“It helps that my best friend runs the Cat Chat,” she said with a smirk, expecting him to be impressed. Instead, he snorted.

“Yeah that makes sense. If you’re Alya’s closest friend, you probably get sent _all_ the articles before they’re published.” He patted her shoulder. “My condolences. Even I can’t keep up with everything she puts out.”

“Which reminds me-”

“ _Witch_ reminds you?” He said, looking very pleased with his pun.

Marinette chuckled, shaking her head. “Sure. Anyway, you haven’t given me your name?”

His smile widened. “You can just call me Chat Noir.”

“You might have to be more specific there,” she said with a glance to a couple of Chat Noirs nearby.

“Ah, trying to rely on my good manners to figure out my true identity. Very clever, but no, you’ll have to make due with just Chat Noir.”

“You really are playing the part, aren’t you?” Marinette rolled her eyes. “That’s fine, I suppose. But seriously, what’s your costume made out of?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Well, I’ve always been curious about the real deal since I’m an up and coming designer-”

“In my experience,” Chat Noir interrupted with a grin. “‘Up and coming’ usually means ‘down and out at the moment.’”

She glares at him for a moment before turning away. Intending to get a refill of punch and some distance away from ‘Chat Noir’, she started walking away. He snagged her elbow - not tightly, but just enough to make her pause.

“Wait! Sorry, that was rude of me. This is the longest I’ve gone talking to a pretty lady for a while, please excuse me.” When she turned back around, he breathed a sigh of relief. “So, you’re a designer?”

“Yes,” she said, still feeling a little miffed but also feeling a boost to her ego from the pretty lady comment. “I actually made my costume for this party.”

“Really?” Chat said, surprised. “I thought it looked a cut above what everyone else was wearing. Do you mind if I take a look?” He smirked, but it lacked some of the cockiness from before. There was a slight shyness that was endearing. “I don’t want to just… oogle you without permission.”

She giggled. “Sure! I’d love for someone to actually appreciate the work that went into this.” 

Setting down her drink, she held her broom and spun around slow enough that he could get a good look. When she was facing him again, he was wearing an impressed look. 

“Its even better than I thought it was. Naturally, I realized it was excellent quality, but not many designers today would remember to balance comfort and practicality in addition to appearance. Plus,” he added as he ran a claw along a seam, “these stitches are expertly done. I bet you’ve been practicing sewing for a long time.”

“Since before lycee! I was making clothes and accessories even back then. In fact…”

Their conversation wore on for the next couple hours and it turned out ‘Chat Noir’ had more than just a cute face and a flirty tongue. He had a surprisingly good knowledge of fashion and the industry, even gave her a few tips for how to break into it. 

As much as she tried to steer the conversation toward him and what he did, he always managed to expertly get her back into talking about her. It was almost as if he had plenty of practice doing it, but she was just glad to have someone new to talk to. All her work recently had left her without many friends to casually talk to. Which was no doubt another reason Alya had gone out of her way to give her a VIP invite. 

Eventually, though, ‘Chat Noir’ left. It was only a few moments later that she realized she had forgotten to ask his name again, or at least ask for his number (he _was_ a cutie after all). But by the time she turned around to look for him, he’d vanished without a trace.

Not that she had long to dwell on it. Just as she was frowning and searching the crowd, Alya stormed over to her. Her eyes were wide and she had that manic energy around her that Marinette had rightly learned to dread over the years. 

“Girl! Do you know who you were just talking to?!” 

“Some guy that wouldn’t give me his name and insisted I called him Chat Noir,” she said with a sigh. “Which sucks, but-”

“That’s because that _was_ Chat Noir!”

“I get why you think that - it was a super impressive costume - but-”

“No, girl. Listen to me.” She put her hands on Marinette’s shoulders and stared her in the eye. “I’ve spent eight years running a blog with a cat pun in the name because of that furry. Eight years of studying Chat Noir and Red Beetle. I’ve interviewed him! If anyone can point out the real Chat Noir out of a bunch of lookalikes, its me.” 

Alya shook Marinette in her excitement. “You just spent the evening flirting with Chat Noir, you amazing minx!”

Marinette smiled as Alya babbled excitedly, but in the comfort of her own mind she frowned. That wasn’t at all what she expected the bombastic, energetic hero she always saw on television to be like. With the party dying down, she headed back to Alya’s place to spend the night, still trying to merge the image of the larger-than-life hero of Paris and the shy boy asking her if she’d let him look at her costume. 

There seemed to be more to Chat Noir than she had ever given him credit for. 


	2. Bell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mister Bug makes his debut.

Adrien leaned against the wall of the rooftop to catch his breath. His transformation as Chat Noir had ended, but at least the battle was over. Well, soon to be over at any rate. 

“You okay, kid?” Plagg asked uncertainly, glancing at Adrien’s ribs. He’d taken a heavy blow there and there was no question there was a big ol’ bruise there at this very moment. 

“I’ll be better once I use the ladybug cure.”

“You have the object the akuma is hiding in, right?” Tikki’s voice wasn’t one he was used to hearing quite yet, but he’d have plenty of time to get accustomed to it while he searched for a new holder for her. 

“Yup, got it right here.” Adrien hefted a lyre up to head height. “Without this, the Treble Maker won’t be able to do anything but pout.” After another moment of resting against the wall, he stood up straight. “Okay. Are you ready, Tikki?”

“Whenever you are, Master Agreste.”

“Just Adrien is fine. Or Guardian, if you really want to be formal.” He cleared his throat and struck a pose. “Tikki, spots on!”

Snapping the lyre on his knee, the newest wielder of the Ladybug miraculous quickly caught and purified the akuma. 

“What a team we make,” he grumbled to himself. “Chat Noir and… Mister Bug?” He sighed. “It’ll have to do. Lucky charm!”

The object he’d conjured fell into his hand. He was halfway to tossing it right back up again when he paused and really looked at it. Sure, the colors were all off since it was a ladybug object, but the shape left no question - it was a witch’s hat. 

Was the power of the ladybug miraculous trying to tell him something? Or was it just a reflection of his own thoughts? He had to admit, in the last few days since the party she’d cropped up in his mind more than a few times. 

Shaking his head, he tossed the lucky charm into the air with a wince of pain and called for the ladybug cure. Tension he didn’t know he’d been holding onto vanished when the familiar tidal wave of ladybugs swarmed through the city, setting everything back to normal.

He picked up the newly repaired lyre. No doubt this had to be important to the akumatization victim if they got targeted by Hawkmoth over it. The person who had just recently been rampaging through the city as Treble Maker sat confused in the middle of the street. Confusion which quickly turned to relief when she saw him.

“Is that my lyre? I’d recognize it even without my glasses! Thank you, Red Beetle!” 

“I’m not-” Mister Bug sighed. “No problem, miss,” he said.

He was only a couple streets over, a little miffed that he couldn’t reveal his ladybug name organically to the citizens when he saw a familiar sight on the street below him. While she looked much different in pink rather than black, it only took him a moment to place the cute witch from the party. A smile spread across his face - perfect timing! 

She was staring up at him in curiosity, which only intensified when he landed on a streetlight above her. 

“The name’s Mister Bug. Can you tell the owner of the Cat Chat that a new hero is in Paris?”

“I- um, sure?”

“Thanks!” He swung off towards home, his mood improving. Why was Red Beetle always complaining about the yoyo? It was so much fun! 

\-----------

Marinette stared after Mister Bug until he vanished behind the city skyline. She was certain that this was the first time she’d ever seen the new hero but… Why did he look so familiar?

And why had she looked at his neck, expecting a bell to be there?


	3. Mouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette goes home late at night and finds a friend along the way.

Marinette swallowed heavily as she made her way back home. Despite being the City of Lights, Paris was definitely a dark and scary place at night. Why had she offered to close the bakery for her parents? 

Well… she knew they had a big day tomorrow. Letting them get some extra sleep in would be a huge help for them. 

There was a sudden burst of noise that nearly startled her to death, but turned out to just be a cat running away from a trash can. Putting her hand over her chest in a desperate attempt to get her fast beating heart under control, she asked herself - couldn’t she have just taken up her parents on their offer to stay the night?

Wait, no. She still had to get home and finish up that piece she’d been working on. She couldn’t do that if she crashed in her old bed above the bakery. Even if she missed her loft sometimes, it had been what? Three years? Yeah, three years since she last slept in it for more than a weekend. It only felt like yesterday she had left the bakery to live on her own… 

She froze. While she wasn’t sure, she had a gut feeling that someone was watching her. Moving quick to catch them before they ran off, she turned around…

...but no one was there. Maybe she was just being jumpy. Walking home after dark was always a little scary, after all. 

“Looking for someone?”

Marinette screeched and whipped her head back around, only to be face to face with an upside down Chat Noir. He was grinning like the cat that ate the mouse as he dropped onto the alley pavement.

“Sorry for scaring you,” he said, his smile turning apologetic. “You looked a little frightened so I thought I’d stop by to walk you home. If that’s alright?”

On the one hand she wanted to say no because her heart was still pounding from the fright he’d given her just now. But on the other hand, what better protection could she have than Chat Noir on her side? Still pouting, she nodded.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, she asked, “So do you make a habit of scaring women on their way home?”

Chat Noir laughs. “No, but I do make a habit of getting them home safely, little witch.”

“So you _do_ remember me.”

“You’re hard to forget.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little embarrassed. “Although I’m ashamed to admit that in the fun of it all, I forgot to ask your name.”

“Well… I suppose you did give me yours. At least as much as you could give.” She held out her hand. “I’m Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

With an amused smirk, he shook her hand. “A pleasure, Marinette.”

As he turned forward again, Marinette saw a glimpse of his ears through his messy mop of hair. To her surprise, he was wearing earrings. 

“Earrings, huh? I didn’t expect you to be the type to wear them. Though they seem kind of… familiar.”

To her surprise, he quickly fluffed up his hair to hide his ears again. His easy calm had been replaced by a nervous air. 

“So, uh, is this your place?” He pointed at an apartment just across the road.

“Oh! Yeah, I’m up on the second floor balcony. Did you want to-” She turned to look at him, but he’d vanished. Frowning, she said to the air, “Thanks, Chat Noir. I appreciated it.”

\--------

From his vantage point above, Chat Noir watched as Marinette walked into her apartment and only then did he make his way home. That was enough excitement for one night.


	4. Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette reads an article off the Cat Chat and thinks about Mister Bug and Chat Noir.

Marinette was working on a jacket to keep her warm as winter began to creep in, when she got a notification on her phone. Even before she picked it up, she knew what it was. After all, Alya had told her just last night that she was about to finish a new article for the Cat Chat. Sure enough, it was a document ready for her to edit. But it was the title that caught her attention

Her eyebrows rose when she read aloud, “Mister Bug: Thief, or Hero?” 

Not exactly what she had expected Alya to write about when she reported the name of the newest miraculous hero in Paris. 

Stepping away from her winter jacket, Marinette plopped herself down on her couch and got to reading. The title turned out to be a little sensationalist, but interesting nonetheless. It had been two weeks since Red Beetle had last been seen - a week before the Halloween party, Marinette realized with a start. And since then, Chat Noir has been fighting alone, only to flee the battle once the akuma is weak. Then and only then, Mister Bug emerges from hiding to deal the final blow to the akuma and use the cure. 

Naturally, Hawkmoth hadn’t been letting up - the akumas were just as strong as they normally were and it was a testament to Chat Noir’s combat prowess that he was managing to hold out on his own. And while he does still win in the end, the battles had been getting more… destructive. Chat Noir was getting more liberal in his use of Cataclysm, no doubt to get the fight over with as soon as possible. But with Mister Bug always hanging back, it had started to worry people.

What if Mister Bug just didn’t show up? Leaving Paris with all the damage from the akuma and Chat Noir’s unrestrained powers?

The article ended like usual, with speculations from Alya. Was Mister Bug a thief that had stolen Red Beetle’s miraculous? Does he have some sort of feud with Chat Noir, and that’s why he won’t help fight the akumas? Or does he secretly hope that the akumas will beat Chat Noir, letting him steal Chat Noir’s miraculous for his own purposes?

Call it a gut feeling, but Marinette felt sure that Mister Bug was at least a hero. Even if she had no clue why he wouldn’t be fighting alongside Chat Noir. If nothing else, she could at least claim that Mister Bug would be better than Red Beetle. She’d never seen much of him, but from what little she could tell, he had a hair trigger temper, an inflated sense of self importance, and worst of all, was just an awful partner to Chat. 

After she sent the article back to Alya with a few minor corrections and a note to tone down the conspiracy theories, she got back to work on her jacket. Her thoughts wandered back to Chat Noir, which she noticed she was doing much more than usual after that Halloween party.

He smiles a lot, but she can see the exhaustion that was hiding behind his eyes. Eventually, him and Mister Bug would have to put aside whatever feud they had that kept them from working together. At least, she hoped they would. Not just for Paris’s sake, but for Chat Noir’s. 

Marinette had lived in Paris for the entire time that Hawkmoth had been active. She had seen almost all her friends and family akumatized. If there was one thing that she had learned from that, it was that the akumas were too much for any one person to handle by themselves. One akuma? Maybe it could be beaten solo, sure. But not everyday, unendingly.

Was it too much to ask that he got a good partner?


	5. Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien gets advice from the kwamis.

Stretching his arms, Adrien yawned and clambered out of bed. He was glad that he had his own schedule to keep him moving, otherwise the temptation to just lay in bed for the rest of the day would be too overwhelming to fight. A hidden downside to not living at home any more, but one that he was more than happy to have in exchange for not being under his father’s roof any more.

Other benefits to leaving his father’s home were: Lots of privacy, very few visitors, and no one to judge him for having a wide variety of weird snacks. Hiding wheels of camembert was no longer his biggest concern.

After he got dressed - well, slipped on a t-shirt in addition to his pajama pants - he made his way through his new home and into his living room, where his many roommates were waiting for him. The kwami of the miracle box were all seated in a messy circle inside the blanket nest he’d built for them a few days ago. He’d have to wash it all soon - Plagg was hardly the only messy eater among them. 

As he began making breakfast, he listened into what they were talking about.

“This ain’t good, guys,” Plagg was saying. “My kittens shouldn’t be prowling around without a ladybug to balance them out. Plus, I don’t like Adrien being alone out there.”

“You are absolutely correct,” Wayzz chimed in. “Not only would it be terribly dangerous before, now he is the last Guardian! If something happens to him…”

“Last _active_ Guardian,” Trixx cut in. “And nothing is going to happen to him if he finds a new chosen for Tikki quick.”

“Something is already happening to him!” Plagg hissed. “Or did you forget that he is wearing both my miraculous and sugarcube’s at the same time?”

The kwamis exchanged looks. Eventually Mullo said, “As long as he doesn’t use them at the same time…” 

“Yeah, but it still puts a strain on him!” Plagg looked to Tikki. “Sugarcube, talk some sense into these kwami!”

“I unquestionably need a chosen of my own. However,” she added, “I can’t say I’m sad to see Red Beetle go.”

“I agree wholeheartedly. The new chosssen can only be an improvement,” Sass said. 

There was a general murmur of agreement between the other kwami.

“Okay, _yes_ he was putz, but at least he was someone fighting alongside the kid!”

“That was only barely an improvement,” Tikki said with crossed arms.

Mullo frowned. “...Did you really not like him that much? You spent eight years by his side. Surely you at least miss him a little?”

“Absolutely not,” Tikki said in a voice that accepted no opposition. “Eight years of living off store bought cookies and after all that he had me carry my own miraculous by myself to Adrien. All because he was so mad at what people were saying about him. Rumors that were completely justified, I remind you.” 

Tikki huffed and settled into place, furiously eating a cookie that Adrien had made for her the other day. He wasn’t very good at baking yet, but after all he’d heard Tikki go through, it was the least he could do. He knew the pains of neglect all too well after all. 

It was around that time that Adrien finished making his breakfast and joined the kwami over by the couch. He offered half of one of his breakfast sausages to Roarr, who eagerly took it. 

“Adrien!” Plagg said as he zipped in front of him, pointing a paw at him. “I _dare_ you to get a new partner as fast as possible!”

“I’m not fifteen anymore, Plagg,” Adrien said as he rolled his eyes. “I’m not that easily goaded these days.” 

“Well, I…” Plagg’s whiskers drooped. “I’m worried about you, kid.”

Adrien’s heart broke seeing his kwami so upset. He scratched behind his old friend’s ear. 

“I can’t offer the ladybug miraculous to just anyone, Plagg. You know that. But…” He continued, causing Plagg to perk up. His attention drifted over to the other kwami. “...Maybe its time for a few temp heroes to help out in the meantime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I've fallen behind on answering comments, I *have* been reading them. Just to clarify, Red Beetle's civilian form isn't anyone we know, and he won't be appearing in this fic.
> 
> Also, now that I've finished the outline for this fic and have made a few big decisions regarding it, I'll be updating the tags. Make sure you check them out so you know what you're getting into!


	6. Hold My Baton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir helps Marinette with her lack of inspiration.

Upside to getting up early on an autumn day? Well, there was almost no one in the park to bother Marinette right now. The chill and the early hours were both powerful motivators for most people to stay inside, tucked warmly in their bed. And that, of course, meant that there weren’t many distractions for Marinette, letting her enjoy a rare moment of serenity in Paris. 

But then there was the downsides. She had never been a morning person, which was very ironic given that she was the daughter of bakers, a group of people renowned for their early rising. Pun intended. Not to mention she absolutely _loathed_ the cold. Even bundled up in two jackets, a hat, and a scarf, every time there was a cold breeze it cut right through to the bone. 

If all that meant that inspiration would start flowing and she’d be able to fill up her sketchbook with something that might actually find its way into reality, then she would consider it all worth the suffering. But the page before her remained stubbornly blank. Well, mostly blank - there was the ghostly remains of a few abortive attempts at previous drawings, none of which had any feeling behind them besides frustration.

Maybe it was because she had seen this park so many times over the years. Rain, snow, sunny days. Packed and barren. Maybe she had wrung all the inspiration she could out of the place? Something had to change, give her a new perspective on the same old thing. A twist on the ordinary. 

“You look lost, little witch.”

It was a testament to how out of it she was that she barely even jumped at Chat Noir’s voice coming out of nowhere. She glanced up to see him lazing on a streetlamp, his tail swishing idly as he watched her. 

“I’m just frustrated is all,” she said, resting her chin in her hand. “I’ve been feeling pretty uninspired recently and I was hoping breaking out of my usual routine would help.”

“Oh? Not much of an early bird usually?”

“Absolutely not,” Marinette said with a scoff. “I do my best work in the evenings.”

“Right after the heart pounding adventures of walking through the city at night, I assume?”

“I don’t make a habit of doing that, you know.”

“That’s good to hear.” Chat Noir spun around the top of the lamp post before leaping off, twirling head over heels to land perfectly on his feet. She smirked and gave him some light applause, which he accepted with a bow. “Anyway - if you do your best work at night, I’m sorry to tell you this but you’ve waited too long. It is now the morning.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “I realize that. But I haven’t been that inspired then either. I thought mixing it up might help but…” She gestured at her blank sketchbook.

“Hm… that _is_ pretty rough.” Chat Noir rubbed his chin in thought before snapping his fingers. “Hey! I know just the place if you really want to get inspired.”

“Really?” Marinette said dubiously, but there was a note of hope in her voice. “Honestly, I’m ready to try just about anything at this point.”

“Great!” He took out his baton and extended it into staff length. With his other hand he reached out to her. “C’mon!”

She took his hand and he pulled her close. Reflexively she threw her arms around his neck and his hand shifted to her waist, pulling her even closer. She swallowed heavily as the chill of the early morning was forgotten in the face of the warmth coming off of Chat Noir. 

He shrugged apologetically and she could almost swear she could see a blush peeking out from under his mask. “Sorry, it’s just better if I’ve got an extra good grip on you. Ready?”

At her nod, he extended the staff and they went hurtling into the sky. Her grip tightened and she screwed her eyes shut while the wind whipped past her. She thought eventually it would calm down a little but it just felt like they were going up and up and up. What buildings in Paris were this tall?

“Little witch?” Chat said once they’d stopped moving for a few moments. “We’re here, if you want to open your eyes now.”

After waiting a second longer, Marinette peeked open one eye but was so stunned by what she saw that both eyes became wide open as she took in the view. The city she loved so much was sprawled out before her in its entirety. It didn’t take her long to realize where they were, which was quickly confirmed when she looked down to see the mass of the Eiffel Tower below her. 

Naturally, she’d been up the Tower before, but she was even higher than they let people go, with Chat Noir latched to the very highest antenna, wind whipping around them.

“What do you think?” 

“It’s beautiful, Chat! And you really get to come up here whenever you want?”

“Mhm,” he replied. “Sitting here all by yourself loses its appeal eventually, though.”

While he said it in an upbeat way, Marinette could feel the pangs of loneliness that emanated from him. She tore her eyes from the view to look at Chat. The wind struck just right and she caught a glimpse of his new earrings again. It reminded her of something.

“But… you aren’t usually alone, right? Red Beetle-”

“He didn’t much care for patrols or doing anything outside of akuma battles,” he said. His eyes narrowed into slits and his tail flicked back and forth irritatedly.

“O-oh.” Marinette wasn’t sure how else to respond. There was clearly a lot of history she was missing out on. She had known Red Beetle wasn’t the _best_ hero, but… “I didn’t realize you two… disliked each other so much.”

“We didn’t get along on a lot of things. In a way, I’m glad I won’t be seeing him again.”

“So he’s really gone then, huh?”

He glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes. “Yup.”

“You don’t have a lot of luck with partners, huh? First Red Beetle, now Mister Bug…”

His face screwed up in confusion. “Huh?”

“Well, you and Mister Bug have to be mad at each other or something, right? Why else would he wait until you’ve left to get the akuma?”

“Why indeed.” There was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he turned back toward the vista of Paris. 

Realizing he wasn’t fond of the subject of partners, she followed suit and looked out into Paris. Just like she’d hoped, she could feel the creative juices flowing once again. 

“Thank you, Chat Noir.”

“Oh it’s no problem. If it helps you break out of your rut, this was definitely a good use of my time.”

“Well, yes, that too,” Marinette said with a nod. “But I meant more _this_.” She gestured towards all of Paris. “Keeping my city safe all these years, even if you and your partner didn’t get along. I know it hasn’t been easy and sometimes some citizens aren’t as grateful as they should be, but I’m happy you’re protecting us.”

\------------

Later that day, long after he’d dropped Marinette off at her apartment’s balcony, Adrien laid down in bed and stared at the ceiling, remembering that moment.

Silhouetted against the early morning light stretching out across the city, her cheeks reddened by the cold and eyes bright with wonder, he could believe it.

It really was her city. And that made him want to protect it all the more. 


	7. Disguise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets caught in the middle of an akuma attack.

Marinette ran her fingers along the fabric, felt just how soft it was, and smiled to herself. The color was right and the texture was perfect. This was exactly what she needed for that new piece she came up with last night. As it turned out, Paris wasn’t the only thing that was inspiring.

Just as she was checking the price tag, the sounds of quickly stifled screaming filtered in from outside the store. Her eyes widened as her mind went into overdrive. Screaming in broad daylight absolutely meant akuma these days. But screaming that gets cut off? Odds were the akuma was targeting civilians. Probably a mind controller. 

The entire line of reasoning passed through Marinette’s mind from one heartbeat to the next and prompted her to duck into a closet and lock the door behind her. As she peered through a keyhole, she realized just how close she had cut it. 

Just a few seconds after she was safe, the doors to the shop burst open and a horde of people who looked like they were rejected extras from an 80s B-movie entered. A couple flashes of light later and the other shop goers ambled out of the building and into the streets.

A shiver ran down Marinette’s spine. That was a close one. But she couldn’t stick around. It was never safe to hang around an akuma battle and that was before Chat Noir had started becoming far more liberal with his usage of cataclysm. She cracked open the door and looked around at the fabrics in the store. A plan slowly came to mind. 

A few minutes later and Marinette had ambled into the streets in a hastily made costume sewn from the worst fabrics she could find in the store. Somehow, the poor quality made it an even better disguise and she slipped in among the horde with none of them giving her a second glance. While her eyes darted between the buildings around her, looking for a way out, someone flew overhead. 

Any hopes she had of it being one of the miraculous heroes were dashed when she saw them hover above the garish legions and direct them to other areas with a device on their wrist. She needed to get out of here, and _fast_.

Careful not to break into a sprint, Marinette ambled a little faster towards a little tea shop. Maybe there was a back door she could sneak out of and make a break for home. 

Which is when she noticed the flick of a certain black cat’s tail as he looked out a window on the second floor. A grin came to her face. Finally, she could have her revenge for all the times he’d ambushed her! 

Creeping forward to make sure she wasn’t heard, she reached forward and-

“GAH!” Chat Noir tumbled down from his hiding place, landing gracefully on all fours and pulling out his baton in one smooth motion. She held up her hands in surrender as he pointed the staff at her.

“Don’t worry! I’m not actually converted.”

“Wait, what?” He hesitantly lowered his baton. “How’d you pull that off?”

Marinette explained what she’d just been through.

“Wow! I knew you were talented, but you’re smart and quick on your feet too.” His eyes lit up. “In fact… I think you might be just what I’m looking for.”

“What do you mean?”

In lieu of an answer, Chat Noir dug around in his pockets and pulled out a black box with red markings on it. He passed it to her. She glanced between him and the box.

“Go on,” he said with a smile. “Open it!”

She gasped when she saw what was inside.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Chat Noir began, his voice taking on an unfamiliar gravitas. “By my power as Guardian I bestow upon you the power of the Turtle miraculous which grants the power of protection. You will use it to defend Paris from the forces of evil. Once the threat has passed, you will return it to me. Do you accept?”

Her eyes narrowed in determination and she looked deep into Chat Noir’s eyes.

“You can count on me!”


	8. Don't Tell Me What To Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir and Turtle!Marinette argue before fighting the akuma.

“Shell on!” 

“How do you feel...?” Chat prompted

“I feel- Oh! Right, a name. Um… how about Tortuga?”

“Works for me,” Chat said. It felt weird talking with another hero after so long with just one other person. How well would she take to this miraculous?

“To be honest?” She hefted the tool her miraculous had given her, getting used to the weight. “Kind of wishing I had something more than just a shield.” 

“Sorry. I wanted someone who could cover me when I rushed the akuma, and I felt the power of protection would be best suited for that.”

Marin- _Tortuga_ shook her head. “Wouldn’t work.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, it wouldn’t work?”

“There are too many mind controlled people. Just because I can make an invincible shield doesn’t mean I can’t be pinned down by the weight of bodies. It’d be obvious that we would be coming and the akuma could just throw people at us until we got stuck.” She raised an eyebrow right back at him. “I’m just not sure how well thought out this plan was.”

Chat crossed his arms, his tail flicking back and forth behind him. Now that she had pointed it out, he felt like an idiot for thinking of it, but he wasn’t about to admit that. 

“Fine, I’d like to see _you_ come up with a plan, rookie.”

“Gladly. Give me a second.” Tortuga looked out the window Chat was using before she so rudely interrupted him. He tapped his foot impatiently as the seconds wore on, but before long she had returned to be in front of him. Her eyes were bright with a contagious enthusiasm. “Okay, here’s the plan…”

\--------

Letting someone else take the lead took some getting used to - most of all a new recruit giving him orders - but Chat Noir was willing to swallow his pride and follow along. Of course, the fact that the plan actually seemed like a pretty good one made it a little easier for him. 

His cataclysm was charged and ready to go as he stood next to the balloon cart. Tortuga had her shield held in front of her as she stood in front of the makeshift ramp they’d built on top of the building. Getting the cart up here had been a story all by itself, but that didn’t matter now. They just needed to wait until-

The akuma appeared in the middle of the street. Tortuga jumped, her feet clearing the rooftop by a meter.

Still in midair, she called out, “Shelter!” 

A sphere of glowing green energy encased her completely like a hamster ball. Once the ball had landed on the ground, he slashed the balloon cart’s helium tank, which sent out a tidal wave of pressurized air against her. Just as planned, she was shot like a rocket out towards the akuma. Unfortunately, he was also blasted against the wall fairly hard. Even through the pain he sighed. He was so sure he’d manage to get through this fight without any injuries and here he was getting beat up by an inanimate object of all things.

Standing up, he saw that Tortuga had connected with the akuma. Darting back into the store, he found a closet that would be safe to transform in.

“Claws in!” 

“Great choice, kid. You sure you don’t want to bring her on full time?” 

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Not now, Plagg.”

“Still, something to think about, right?” Tikki said. The kwami exchanged a smile. “...You do seem to like her already.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Adrien grumbled, “Tikki, spots on.”

Mister Bug left the closet and leapt toward the spot that Tortuga had pinned the akuma, pleased to see that she was doing just fine. 

With the Shelter sphere sitting right on his chest, the villain couldn’t reach his wrist to command their now directionless horde. He was left to writhe fruitlessly against the impenetrable barrier, snarling noiselessly in rage at them. 

Slipping the device off his wrist, Mister Bug crushed it in his bare hands and released the akuma.

“So you’re Mister Bug, huh? Nice to finally meet you.”

He caught the akuma with the yoyo and looked back into the bright blue eyes of Tortuga. There was curiosity there, but also distrust. Which was surprising until he remembered what they had talked about during their time on the Eiffel Tower yesterday. No one had managed to figure out Mister Bug and Chat Noir were one in the same. Master Fu wasn’t kidding - the identity concealing magic of the miraculous was incredibly strong.

Tortuga turned off her Shelter and helped the confused man to his feet. 

“That’s me alright.” He quickly summoned a lucky charm, getting a sketchbook which he quickly tossed it back up. “Miraculous ladybug!”

A swarm of ladybugs cascaded through the streets, fixing everything that had been broken. It swirled around Tortuga, but her eyes were only for him. 

“So, uh, I’ll take back your miraculous now,” he said. 

“I don’t think so. I’ll be handing it back to Chat Noir. He knows where to find me.”

And just like that, she was leaping away. He had half a mind to call her back, but swallowed the words and went to find a safe place to switch back. Maybe keeping these identities separate was going to be more of a pain than he thought. Still, at least making it seem like there were more heroes around would help keep Hawkmoth from smelling blood and getting bold. 

Ten minutes later, he landed on Marinette’s balcony, back in the shiny magic leather that he was used to. She had left the window open for him and was sitting on a chair with her arms crossed. The box was sitting on a nearby table, the bracelet of the turtle sitting snugly inside it.

“Thanks for your help, Marinette,” he said with a smile. “I’m sorry I put you on the spot like that, but I’m glad I ran into you. I’m not sure if anyone else could have ended that fight as fast as you did.”

“Thanks. Did you know that Mister Bug tried to ask for my miraculous? And where did _you_ go?” Her eyes narrowed. “I get catapulted through the air and instead of a man in black I get a guy in red. Weren’t we supposed to be partners?”

“I… I’m sorry,” he slumped his shoulders. “I got blasted by that balloon cart too and by the time I got back up, Mister Bug was already on the scene. At that point, I figured it was best to let him take over to purify the akuma and everything.”

Technically speaking, he had barely even lied there. He’d certainly told his father bigger lies over the years. But why did he feel so awful anyway?

“Oh,” she said, her stern expression melting into concern. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, the ladybug cure patched me up like usual. And, for the record, Mister Bug and I are on good terms. You can give him the miraculous in the future.”

“Is this going to become a thing then? Me and you, fighting akumas?”

“...Maybe. We’ll see.”

He stuffed the box in his pocket and had one foot outside the window when he felt a tug on his arm. When he looked back, Marinette threw her arms around him. 

“If you ever need help… super help or just regular old help… I’ll be here, okay?”

Unable to find any words at that moment, Chat Noir just swallowed and nodded. He went home, the weight on his shoulders feeling lighter than it had in years and years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Yes I realize Tortuga is a spanish name, but its the only one I came up with that I liked and wasn't taken in canon - *looks angrily at Jade Turtle*)


	9. Cone of Shame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir pays a visit to Marinette.

A couple days later, Chat Noir decided to take her up on the offer. Not the superheroics - the last few fights had been tough, but not so tough that he needed extra help to win. But, well, the stress of it all was starting to get to him and he could use somewhere that he could just relax and unwind.

He landed on her balcony and tapped a knuckle against the glass of the window. She looked up, eyes widening when she saw him crouched outside. It was a losing battle to fight down the smile when she got up in a panic to let him in. 

“Hey! Chat! What brings you here? Is it an akuma or something?”

“Already eager for your next fight, little witch?” His smirk broadened. “But no, I’m not here on official business, exactly.”

Her surprise faded into a warm smile. “That’s fine by me. Come on in, Chat.” Despite her invitation, he hovered by the window. When she turned back around after taking a seat in front of what looked like a jacket, she frowned. “...Is something wrong?”

“Sorry, it’s just… I wanted to apologize for dragging you into that akuma fight. I try to avoid forcing people into fighting my battles whenever I can.”

“First off,” she said, a warning edge to her voice. “It is an akuma battle. That makes it _all_ of our fight, no matter what some people might say. So yes, I was more than happy to actually have a chance to have some power and stick it to Hawkmoth for once. Second, you didn’t ‘force’ me to do anything. I chose to accept the miraculous. Got it?”

“R-right,” Chat said. An awkward silence stretched between them as Marinette returned to her work and Chat stood by the wall, unsure of what to do with himself. His eyes caught a basket full of balls of yarn and he edged closer to it. He scooped one of them up to get a closer look.

“Cat instincts taking over, Chat?” He looked over his shoulder to see Marinette wearing a smirk and watching him carefully. “You’d better not mess up all my yarn. I’ll be using them to make Christmas gifts.”

“Don’t buy into those tabloid articles written about me,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I promise, I don’t actually have cat instincts.”

“And yet here you are, playing with yarn.”

“I was just looking! I happen to have a pretty good understanding of fashion and materials and all that.” He turned his attention back to the string. “I was only wondering what you were working with.”

“Uh huh,” Marinette said, unconvinced. “Still, if you don’t behave, I won’t hesitate to put a cone on your head to keep you out of trouble.”

“I wander into your home and this is the warm welcome I get,” Chat said, shaking his head. “Ah well. I should probably be heading out anyway.”

“Really? Darn. I was about to make some dinner. But, if you don’t want some, I suppose that’ll be fine.”

Chat’s cat ears twitched and he froze with one hand on the window. “Dinner, you say?”

“Mhm.” Marinette stuck her tongue out as she put a few more pins in the piece she was working on. “I was thinking about some sort of pasta for today. Maybe we can talk about fashion over dinner. I gotta say, I’m a little curious about this ‘good understanding’ of fashion you claim you have.”

“Hm… sounds very tempting, little witch…”

“And _then_ , after that, we can watch a movie.”

“...What kind of movie.”

“Either a rom com where we can yell at the protagonists to stop being stupid and kiss already, _or_ a horror flick where we can yell at the protagonists to stop being stupid.”

“I sense a theme.”

Marinette shrugged. “Its fun to yell at the dumb movie characters. Plus I don’t usually like horror movies, but I bet it won’t be as bad with a literal superhero right there with me.”

Chat Noir laughed, the first honest laugh he’d had in weeks. “You know what? That sounds like a great way to spend my evening. Count me in.”


	10. Can I Borrow Your Miraculous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir is on the ropes with this akuma fight. Is there anyone that can help him?

As Chat Noir was tossed through the third wall of this battle, he thought to himself that it was days like this that he missed having a partner. Not for the extra help, though. Red Beetle was only nominally useful in a fight. 

No, at least then he could have a partner to take some hits or offer up a distraction while he went to get help. This definitely felt more like a three hero job. It was a testament to Chat Noir’s years and years of experience in fighting akumas that he’d made it this far. The akuma was on the ropes, very nearly beaten. The problem?

So was Chat Noir. 

Still laying in the rubble of the third wall he’d been tossed through today alone, Chat Noir tried to just catch his breath. All he needed was one last heroic second wind, pulling himself up against all odds to win the day. But as he laid sprawled on the ground, he just couldn’t manage it. Not alone.

No sooner had he had the thought than he heard someone stepping around in the ruins. No doubt it was the akuma, limping in to steal his ring off of him. Chat struggled to get onto his elbows, at least look at them with resistance in his eyes. The glare evaporated when he saw who was actually approaching him.

It was Marinette. In a cute fall outfit, tip toeing through the broken masonry to get to him, looking about as out of place as she possibly could.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he managed to croak out as she pulled him to his feet. He bent over so he could lean on her shoulder. “Too dangerous.”

“Yeah, that’s Paris these days,” she replied drily. “Come on. Over here, let’s get you sitting down.”

“No… I have to go back out there.”

“There is no way I’m letting you keep fighting. I… I can’t keep watching this.”

Her fixed her with a glare borne of annoyance. “Do you have any better ideas?”

“I don’t suppose you remembered to bring another miraculous with you?”

Chat Noir shook his head.

“Yeah I figured,” she said, shaking her head. She took a deep breath and looked at him seriously, her eyes set in determination. “Let me borrow your miraculous. Just for this fight.”

“No,” he said flatly. “It’s bad enough when I asked you to help me before. But I can’t let you do this alone.”

“Then now you know how I feel,” she said through gritted teeth. 

They remained there, one of them seated, leaning against a wall, the other standing with her fists on her hips, each of them staring deep into the eyes of the other. Chat was the one to look away first. 

“Go on the other side of the wall. I’ll send my kwami with my ring.” He gripped his stomach and rode out the wave of pain. Taking a ragged breath, he continued, “Since you’re such an avid reader of the Cat Chat, I bet you don’t need me to explain my powers to you.” He ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. “When you beat the akuma, bring the object and my ring back here. Me and Mister Bug will take care of it from there. Alright?”

She nodded and did as instructed.

“Claws in,” Adrien said, eyes closed. He slid off the ring and opened his eyes to see a worried looking Plagg staring at him with big, green eyes. “Keep her safe, Plagg.”

The kwami looked like he wanted to say something, but instead simply nodded and took the ring without a word. 

“Tikki, spots on.” The rush of another transformation covered him and Mister Bug listened to the battle resume outside. 

Now all he could do was wait… and hope.


	11. Chat Blanc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien seeks out advice for his current problem.

Adrien watched Paris shrink over the horizon as the train sped away. Just the thought of leaving the city he’d worked so hard to protect had him feeling uneasy, even if he knew he wasn’t going to be gone for more than a couple hours. 

That last akuma battle had been close - far too close. If Marinette hadn’t happened to show up, then he might have actually lost. He couldn’t even bear to look at the Cat Chat to take his mind off things. Alya was so caught up in the excitement of this new hero, who she had decided to call Ladynoire, that she didn’t even consider how close they had all come to a victorious Hawkmoth. Most media outlets had picked up on her enthusiasm, no doubt as a way to avoid thinking about the desperate nature of the last few fights.

But Adrien knew that ignoring the problem wasn’t going to help. He needed someone to talk to and there was only one person in the world that he could possibly vent to about this.

The rural French village was located in Normandy, not far from the coast. Apparently the winds off the ocean helped keep his bones from aching quite so much. Very soothing for him. 

Adrien remembered the conversation vividly, even if a year had passed since then. A year of him being the Guardian… a lot had changed between then and now. Adrien wandered through the village for a few minutes, looking for the right house. With his duties in Paris, both as a hero and a model, he didn’t have much time to pay visits. Which made him feel awful, of course, but what could he do? Eventually, he found the house and knocked on the door.

After a minute or two, it opened and Master Fu looked up at Adrien with a smile. 

“Come in, Adrien. I’ve been expecting you.”

Adrien followed his old master inside, noting how his hair had gone fully white now, the way his beard was both longer and thinner, how he shambled even more slowly across the floor. 

“Was it old Guardian senses that let you know I’d be showing up on your doorstep?” Adrien asked as he sat down on the floor, across the table from his predecessor.

Master Fu chuckled as he poured tea for Adrien. “No, I was merely keeping up with the Cat Chat. After that last battle, I knew you would need to speak with me.”

“Oh,” Adrien said, deflating a little. “So you know how bad I messed up.”

“It was fated to happen eventually, Adrien. You were not meant to fight this war alone. The fact that you have endured this long on your own is a testament to your abilities as Chat Noir.” He took a drink of his tea. “But we are getting ahead of ourselves. How are you feeling, Guardian?”

Adrien ran a hand through his hair. “Exhausted. Stretched thin. Drained. In other words…” He looked at Master Fu meaningfully.

Master Fu sighed, closing his eyes. “In other words, dangerously close to akumatization. I feared this might be the case.” He opened his eyes again and looked at Adrien, stroking his beard. “What is it that you intend for me to do? There is little assistance I can offer that you do not have already.”

“That’s sort of what I’m asking - for you to take some of it _back_.” At Master Fu’s confused look, Adrien continued, “Can you just choose the new wielder of the ladybug miraculous for me? I’m close to akumatization and I’m terrified I’ll make the wrong choice.” He sighed, a sound of absolute exhaustion. “Paris deserves better than that.”

“Oh? In your darkest moment, it is still not yourself that you are thinking of, but those who are under your protection.” Master Fu stroked his beard, looking at Adrien meaningfully. “That alone proves that you are a worthy Guardian, and more than capable of making the right choice.”

“But… still,” Adrien said. “You were the one who chose me. If I’m worthy, so are you.”

“Ah, but I also selected Red Beetle, who, in the end, was clearly not fit to wield the miraculous.” Master Fu reached a hand across the table to place on Adrien’s. “I am sorry to be placing such a burden upon you. Trust me when I saw that I know very well the weight of it.”

“I… I just don’t know if I could forgive myself if the person I picked turned out to be another dud.” He buried his face in his hands, clutching at his hair as the dread settled into the pit of his stomach. 

“Adrien.” Master Fu spoke with an authority that drew Adrien’s eyes to him. “You have been an excellent student, one of the best I have ever had the great fortune to teach. You are a stalwart hero, accepting these added responsibilities without complaint even as things spiralled out of your control. And last, I know you will make a wise Guardian as you have already learned the most valuable wisdom of all - _asking for help_.”

Master Fu closed his eyes as he took another drink of tea, letting Adrien brush away the nascent tears before they could fall. 

“So,” Adrien said, sniffling a little. “Any advice for picking out a permanent hero?”

“For you?” Master Fu set down his cup. “Trust your heart. It has always guided you true, Master Agreste.”


	12. Kwami Swap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette makes her third heroic appearance. And you know what they say - third time's the charm.

“Any final words, Chat Noir?” The akuma growled, its long, spindly limbs surprisingly strong as they pinned Chat Noir’s arms to his sides. All he could do was kick his legs, suspended twenty meters above the streets of Paris. 

“Hm… Nothing is coming to mind right now,” Chat Noir replied. “Can you give me some time to think of some really good ones? Maybe a few minutes? Hours? Days? In fact, let’s just call a timeout for this battle.”

“No. I think not,” the akuma said in a voice that echoed strangely. “Let’s see who is under that mask…”

Panic gripped Chat as he felt his ring being pulled off, nearly powerless to stop it. He could feel the magic unraveling around him and he did the only thing he could think to do.

“Spots on!”

Just as his transformation as Chat Noir ended, the red swirl of magic hid his secret identity. While that was definitely a good thing, it came with another problem entirely - now he couldn’t hope the akuma would overlook his earrings. And if he couldn’t beat the akuma as Chat Noir, he certainly couldn’t with a miraculous he didn’t have eight years of practice with. 

A miraculous which Mister Bug realized the akuma was still holding onto. Hoping Plagg would forgive him, he reached for his yoyo and struck it out of the akuma’s hands. He couldn’t track where the ring fell as he broke free of the akuma’s grip, and just hoped that it didn’t end up in the wrong hands before he could go looking for it.

With renewed determination, Mister Bug twirled the yoyo into a shield and fell into a combat stance. The odds weren’t in his favor, but he’d never let that bother him before and he wasn’t about to start now.

\----------------

As the battle raged on overhead, Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. It had been an eventful few seconds. The bone chilling fear of seeing Chat Noir nearly unmasked, followed by the revelation that he was secretly Mister Bug, all the while knowing that Chat was fighting a losing battle… Marinette had more reasons than the obvious to be upset at being stuck on the frontlines of yet another akuma battle. 

Her thoughts came to a sudden halt when she heard the sound of something metallic hitting the ground. She looked down just in time to see a familiar ring roll into her shoes. Her jaw dropped and she was stuck staring at it for a moment before quickly snatching it up. Immediately, the little cat creature she had met a couple days ago had appeared in front of her.

“Plagg?”

“Pigtails! Thank cheese you’re here.” He pointed a paw at the battle raging above. “Look, you’ve got to transform and help my kid out. He _can’t_ do this on his own.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Marinette said, fear quickly being pushed aside in the face of a wall of steely focus. “Plagg, claws out!”

Mere seconds later, Ladynoire rose to the skies on her baton for the second time. She batted aside a spindly limb meant for Mister Bug. The two of them landed on a rooftop as the akuma stepped back to get a grip on the situation.

“Mister Bug!” She said, pretending to just now notice him. “I’ve heard so much about you. Finally decided to actually fight the akumas now?”

“Well I figured I might as well pick up the slack if that Chat Noir was going to run off,” he shot back with a grin. “Ready to take this bastard down?”

A grin spread across her face as well, a reckless bravery falling over her as she stood beside the experienced hero.

“Always.”

\---------------

“Pound it?” Ladynoire held out her fist to Mister Bug after he purified the akuma.

He looked down at her first in confusion before smiling and returning the fist bump. “Pound it.”

“So… now what?”

Mister Bug glanced around, which made her notice the people starting to cautiously return to the area. No doubt the reporters would be flocking to this spot in droves once they realized that two elusive heroes were on the scene. 

“Follow me.”

A few minutes later and Ladynoire found herself in a darkened office building. Maybe they were closed for the day, or maybe they had gotten out of there due to the rampaging akuma nearby. Either way, the building was completely empty except for the two of them. 

“Okay, you stay on this side and I’ll go over here,” Mister Bug said, darting behind a cubicle wall. Ladynoire blinked at the wall before letting herself slide her back down it until she was sitting. On the other side, she felt Mister Bug do the same. “Spots off.”

“Claws in.” Her transformation dropped and she gave a smile to the kwami. “Great work, Plagg. You were great out there.”

Plagg grinned, showing off his tiny fangs. “You weren’t half bad yourself, Pigtails.”

The kwami vanished as she took off the ring and sat it at the edge of the wall, in reach of the man who was Chat Noir. And, just as she figured, he quickly snatched the miraculous back up. With her end of the deal finished, she put her hands on the floor to help stand herself up. There was no use in sitting around now. 

To her surprise, Chat Noir snagged her wrist. “Hang on a minute. Please?”

She nodded before remembering he couldn’t see her. “Alright.”

A whispered conversation began on the other side of the wall. Even as close as she was, she couldn’t make out much beyond the fact that there were three voices. It didn’t last very long either.

“So,” Chat Noir began. His voice had a strange quality to it now, as though it was wavering with emotion. “Tikki likes cookies, especially ones that you’ve made personally. I’m not that good a baker but she loves the ones that I’ve done so don’t worry. Even if you’ve never made a cookie in your life, she’ll probably eat them all up anyway. But no matter what she says, don’t feed her after midnight. It makes her hyper and she’ll keep you up all night.”

“Tikki? What are you talking about?”

“It’s harder to get used to at first than the black cat miraculous,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “There is definitely more of a learning curve with it. But you’re a lot more clever than me, so I think you’ll take to it better. Talking with Tikki and just practicing will teach you everything you need to know.”

“Wait wait wait,” Marinette said, rubbing her temples. “Are you saying… you’re giving me a miraculous?”

“Not just any miraculous, little witch.” 

She looked to her right and saw his hand. When he pulled back, she saw a pair of earrings. Her eyes widened. While it wasn’t exactly common knowledge, her many years proofreading for the Cat Chat let her recognize them on sight.

“Are those… Red Beetle’s miraculous?”

“Yes, but no. It is the miraculous that gave Red Beetle his powers, but they existed long before him, and will exist long after. Its proper name is the ladybug miraculous.”

She hesitantly reached out a hand, thinking that at any moment he’d change his mind and take them back. But he never did and she looked down at the exquisite earrings. As she put them on, Chat Noir continued.

“You remember the drill from last time - will you accept this miraculous and with it, defend Paris from evil?”

“Yes! Of course!”

“Good,” he said, and she could almost hear the relief in his voice. “Oh, and here, you can have these.” He dropped a bag of chocolate chip cookies at the edge of the wall. “She prefers macarons, but…” Chat chuckled. “That’s a little outside my skill range. I hope you have better luck.”

“Well, I _am_ the daughter of bakers.”

“No kidding? It’ll be a match made in heaven then. Claws out!” He poked his head around the corner, a familiar Chat grin on his face. “Well, see you around… partner.”

And just like that, he was gone. 

Marinette sat there, thinking it over for a couple minutes.

 _Partner_.

She smiled. She could get used to that. 

Now all she needed was a name…


	13. Flower Crown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets a handle on her new powers and responsibilities.

“So I don’t actually get to choose what the Lucky Charm ends up giving me?” 

Marinette frowned as she leaned against the wall as she waited next to the oven. Her new little friend, Tikki, had already gone through the entire stash of cookies that Chat Noir had left her, but that was alright. After all, this meant she got to cook up a batch of macarons and see what Tikki thought of them. Getting praise for the Dupain-Cheng recipe from an immortal being with a sweet tooth would definitely be a nice ego boost.

“Nope!” Tikki chimed. “That’s why the best of my chosen have been quick thinkers and creative to boot. I’ve been told what you can do from Plagg and Wayzz, so I’m very excited to see what you can do with a power set that is more tailored to your strengths.”

“About that power set-” Marinette was interrupted by the alarm on her phone. Slipping on an oven mit, she pulled the macarons out and started putting them on a plate. She caught Tikki before she could dive in. “You’re going to hurt yourself. Let them cool down first, at least.” 

The red kwami pouted, but did as she was told.

“Now, the power set. I know all about,” she started to tick items off on her hand, “Lucky Charm, and the Miraculous Cure, and the akuma purification thing.” She looked at Tikki, who was still hungrily eyeing the baked goods. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Well… since you’re an adult and your emotions are a little more settled, that means you can start accessing the powers of creation outside your suit.”

“Really?” Marinette blinked in surprise. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“Well, at the very least, it means you can summon your yoyo even while not transformed. Other than that...” Tikki shrugged, tearing her attention away from the sweet treats to give Marinette her full attention. “It varies from chosen to chosen. While most of the miraculous are pretty narrow in their powers, Plagg and I aren’t. Sometimes it means you can conjure things out of thin air, or grow plants, or even perform healing magic.”

“Grow plants, huh?” Marinette glanced over at her collection of flowering plants that she had brought inside from the balcony for winter. It was looking like a jungle in her apartment, but there wasn’t a single flower among them. “Let’s start small then.”

“Um…” Tikki fluttered uncertainly near Marinette’s head. “Maybe you should start by learning your powers while transformed first. That’s the way most people start.”

“Maybe, but most people don’t have eight years of catching up to do. The next time I transform, it’s probably going to be to fight an akuma. I’d like to hit the ground running, you know?” She looked into Tikki’s unconvinced face. Marinette sighed. “Okay, I've already used two other miraculous, including your counterpart. How different can it be?”

“We’ll find out…” Tikki sighed and landed on her shoulder. “Okay, so what you have to do is really focus on our miraculous and imagine the power flowing from it into you. Then, visualize what you want and let the energy go.”

“Alright… Let’s give it a shot.” 

Marinette took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting herself become acutely aware of the metallic feel of the miraculous against her earlobes. Imagining the slight chill of the metal as energy that was rushing into her. She scrunched her face up in concentration and began thinking of what she wanted - the chrysanthemum plant in front of her blossoming with a single flower. After a few minutes of letting the power course through her, she opened her eyes.

To see no change. 

“Tikki,” Marinette whined, “why didn’t it work?”

“It was your first try, or maybe you just haven’t found the right way to do it,” Tikki said, patting her cheek consolingly. “Or maybe it isn’t a power you are destined for.”

Marinette’s eyes narrowed at the stubborn plant. “Well I’m not going to give up. Any other advice you can give me?”

“Well…” Tikki put a paw to her chin. “Some of my past chosen have said that it helps to imagine that you’re filling a dam as you charge the energy. And then, once you have filled it, unleash it all at once.”

“Okay…”

Marinette repeated her attempt from before, except this time letting the power build up first. Once again, she imagined the single flower blossoming. She let go of the energy, her breath taken away this time as she felt the power pulse off of her. 

When she opened her eyes, she realized that she had succeeded. A little more so than she had intended, as a matter of fact. All of her plants were now in bloom, a vibrant array of colors that she usually only got for a couple weeks in spring. She bit her lower lip as she realized this was going to look suspicious if Alya or anyone else came over. 

Although she doubted anyone - even Alya - would be able to connect flowers blooming in winter to her having a miraculous, she should probably do something about this.

“Um, I think that’s all for today, Tikki. Why don’t you go ahead and eat some of your macarons?” 

Tikki giggled. “Don’t worry, I’ll help prune before I eat. What are you going to do with all the flowers?”

“Well…” She put a finger to her chin. “It’s been a while since I’ve practiced making flower crowns.”

\-----------

Half an hour later, Marinette had removed all the incriminating flowers, Tikki was gorging herself on the plate of macarons, and three flower crowns had been made. It was at that time that Marinette heard a knock on her balcony door. 

Her eyes widened as her eyes met Chat Noir’s bright green ones. 

“Tikki! Hide!”

“Marinette,” her kwami said patiently while clutching a half-eaten macaron. “I appreciate how seriously you’re taking your secret identity, but Chat Noir already knows, remember?”

“Oh, right.” She stood up and unlocked the door, which swung open. 

Chat Noir took a step in, an amused smile on his face. “Did you just try to hide your kwami from me?”

“I- No,” Marinette squeaked, lying. “Not at all.”

“That’s adorable, little witch,” Chat Noir said as he chuckled.

She took one of the finished crowns and shoved it roughly on his head. “Oh shut up, you alley cat.”

Crossing her arms, she smirked as he adjusted the crown of yellow flowers. But her attempt to shut him up only made him laugh harder, and more earnestly. She hadn’t gotten him to laugh like that much. It was soft and pure, reminding her of a spring rain. As he got it straightened out, he kept laughing, eyes alive with happiness, hair tousled even more than usual from her throwing it on him. 

Her heart sped up.

Was it just her? Or was Chat Noir… very cute?


	14. Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette attends a fancy fashion show.

Marinette hovered near the chocolate fountain, a source of strength and reassurance for her at the moment. She was very careful not to get any of the dripping liquid chocolate on her dress of blues and whites, modeled on midnight stars. Besides the piece that would be flaunted on stage, the dress she was wearing was going to be her main way of impressing other designers in the industry.

The weeks following her being given the ladybug miraculous had gone by in a blur. The day that she had given Chat Noir a flower crown, he had given her something much more important - an invitation to be one of the designers at the Agreste charity fashion show. As such a beloved public figure, Chat could pull some strings and get an invite to the prestigious show. 

Or, at least that's how he explained it. Given that he seemed to have inside knowledge about the fashion industry, she suspected he was working in the show and got it for her that way. No matter what the source was, she had become an official designer for the show and she was not about to pass up this opportunity.

It was short notice, having to design an original piece for the show. Even more so when she had to wait a couple days on the measurements to get back to her as they picked out a model. She’d hoped that she would have gotten a female model since she had more experience with women’s clothing, but the male model proved to be an interesting challenge.

The stress of working double time to get that ready, knowing that it was likely to make or break her career, was only compounded by how eerily quiet Hawkmoth had been for the last two weeks. Ever since the battle that earned her the ladybug miraculous, there hadn’t been so much as a single akuma.

This wasn’t unprecedented. In eight years, there had been a few periods of calm. Alya had spent a huge amount of time trying to figure out what the common thread between those stretches were, but always came up empty handed. Whatever it was had to be something that occupied Hawkmoth’s time so much he couldn’t keep an eye out for negative emotions.

But far from being reassuring, the quiet was putting Marinette on edge. The longer she went without really testing out her powers while transformed, the more worried she became. Chat Noir and Tikki were insisting that she not go out for patrols until her debut fight. They wanted the element of surprise with them when she got into her first fight. 

Marinette shoved a chocolate-covered strawberry in her mouth and rubbed her temples. She took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves. All she had to do was chat with some people, make a good impression, and watch the show. No problem. 

“Hello!”

Her arms flailed around her head at the sudden voice appearing next to her. She was glad she didn’t have any chocolate coated anything in her hands any more, otherwise either her dress or the suit of this new person would’ve become covered in chocolate. 

“Sorry,” the blonde man said, holding up his hands apologetically. “I didn’t mean to startle you, Miss Dupain-Cheng.”

Her eyes widened as she got a good look at him. Blonde hair, green eyes, looks fantastic in a suit? This could only be one person. She pointed a finger at him. “I know you!” 

The man seemed to be surprised, his sun kissed skin paling. “Uh, are you sure-” 

You’re Adrien Agreste!” How could she miss him? His billboards were everywhere, not to mention he was the son of her favorite designer, Gabriel Agreste. She remembered when half her class had a crush on him back in lycee. The other half was crushing after Chat Noir, of course.

“Oh. Yes! That’s me, right. Adrien Agreste.” Adrien laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I’m not amazing at this. Anyway, I just wanted to say hi since I’ll be modeling your designs tonight.”

“Wait, really? I thought you’d be showing off the newest Agreste fashions.”

“Usually, yes. But when I saw your application, I knew I had to wear your piece for tonight. I asked for you specifically.”

“That’s- Thank you! I’m very flattered.” Not to mention that having such a great model showing off her outfit would be a huge help in pulling it off. Her eyebrows furrowed as something he said caught up to her. “Wait. What do you mean ‘you’re not amazing at this’?”

“I, um…” He rubbed the back of his neck again. “Well I don’t really have many friends since I was homeschooled, and my schedule keeps me pretty busy, so… I don’t really get to just talk with people a lot?” 

His eyes flickered to hers and her heart broke to see the worry and uncertainty there. She felt a wave of sympathy for him. Suddenly he wasn’t a rich and important model that could help her make her career, but just a lonely guy that needed some human company. Maybe that empathy is what moved her to ask her next question.

“Do you have a discord?”


	15. Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette introduces Adrien to some of her friends.

Marinette sat down on her couch with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, pulling a blanket around her before setting her laptop on her lap. If what Adrien said was true, then any minute now he’d be online and ready to talk.

It had come as a complete shock to her to find out that he had never even _heard_ of discord, let alone had an account on it. She’d quickly fixed that by making him pull out his phone and downloading the mobile app. Although, looking back, she’d hardly _made_ him do it - he was eager to go along with it, especially when she told him this would let them talk a lot more. 

Clearly, the poor guy was hard up for friends. 

While she was taking a sip of hot chocolate, the discord notification chimed. She switched to it to see what the message said.

 **Adrien:** Hello? Are you there?

A flicker of a smile passed over her face.

 **Marinette:** I’m here blondie 

Finally got some time to yourself?

 **Adrien:** Mostly yeah. 

Just making some dinner now.

For a moment, Marinette was confused. How was he mostly alone? Maybe he had some pets or something. Or maybe being always on call made it _feel_ like he never really had time to himself. 

**Marinette:** Food?

 **Adrien:** Yup yup!

Making gnocchi, my favorite.

 **Marinette:** Nice Btw thanks for what you did during the show

 **Adrien:** Haha, don’t worry I was just doing my job.

 **Marinette:** The modeling part, sure

But bringing my name up to those fashion heads?

Very kind of you

I really do appreciate it

 **Adrien:** Still, part of my job

How can I just ignore talent when I find it?

It’s my job-

No my duty-

No my privilege! To help out

 **Marinette:** youre such a dork

Oooo I just had an idea

A way i can pay you back 

**Adrien:**???

 **Marinette:** My friends and I have a little server

You introduced me to some people, I introduce you to some people

Then we’re square

The little dots showing that he was typing disappeared. Then reappeared. Then disappeared. It took awhile for him to send a response, and she was starting to wonder if maybe she had offended him. After all, she didn’t know him that well yet, and she had no idea what would upset him just yet. Thankfully, her fears proved unfounded.

 **Adrien:** I’d love that, Marinette.

While she was waiting for Adrien to follow the invite, she practiced using ladybug magic by trying to call up her yoyo. It had taken a few attempts, but now she could generally get it into her hands without accidentally causing plants to bloom around her. Once it was open, she stared at it for a good long moment. What was Chat Noir doing right now?

She returned to the discord just in time to see Adrien enter.

_Adrien has joined the party_

**Adrien:** Hello!

I’m Adrien

 **Cat Lady:** Lol yeah we can see that

How’d you get in?

 **Adrien:** marinette let me in

 **Marionette:** I sent him an invite alya

^^^

 **potato:** Chill babe

You know M wouldn’t let just any dudes in

 **Cat Lady:** I guess you’re right

Welcome to the server Adrien!

 **Adrien:** How do you all have weird names

How do i get one

 **potato:** Let’s see what he’s got to say

Lmao

Dude is asking the right questions at least

I bet you don’t know much bout discord, huh?

 **Adrien:** You got that right, mr potato

hi cat lady!

 **Potato:** oh geez I forgot that was my name

Just call me nino dude

 **Cat Lady:** I’m alya, you probably know me from the cat chat?

 **Adrien:** :O

I read it all the time

 **Cat Lady:** lol yes

Okay he’s got good taste

Nice work, girl

Marinette watched as her friends got used to the new person in their group. It was a surprisingly quick process, especially for Nino. Come to think of it, that wasn’t all that shocking. He’d often complained about being the only guy in their group most of the time. No wonder he leapt at the chance for another ‘bro’ to hang out with. 

And watching Adrien slowly open up and even start joking with the others? It felt wonderful.

For some reason, imagining him at his computer, finally smiling at having friends to hang out with, was very heartwarming to her.


	16. Do Not Disturb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien gets a call from his father.

Adrien was sitting in front of the television with most of the kwami when his tablet began to ring. The smile that had been on his face evaporated in a moment. There was only one person who would call like that. Swallowing heavily, he reached for the tablet. He took a deep breath, schooled his face into a neutral expression, and answered the call.

“Hello, father.”

“Adrien,” Gabriel said with a poorly concealed sneer. 

Gabriel hadn’t approved of Adrien’s ‘wild phase’ of getting a job independent of him and moving out into his own place. And Adrien tried not to think about how Gabriel had reacted when Adrien had told him he’d been considering taking online university courses in his free time. Even just the memory of it was enough to frustrate him.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

Come to think of it, Adrien was fairly sure Gabriel didn’t approve of much anything Adrien did. Which he took as grand praise indeed. After all, with how awful his father was looking these days, it was clear that Gabriel hadn’t been making excellent decisions either. 

His hair had always been a pale blonde but now it had crossed over into a wispy white, slicked back as usual to give him a clear view of Gabriel’s beady, sunken eyes. Add in the wrinkles like trenches across his face, and it was no wonder Gabriel didn’t do even his rare blue moon appearances anymore. He must have gotten tired of people thinking he was thirty years older than he actually was.

“I have been told that you have found yet another down and out designer to muddy our doorstep.”

Adrien often thought that maybe it was the bitter anger his father carried that had aged him so terribly. After all, it certainly wasn’t exertion that caused this - the Agreste line has languished recently with uninspired designs. 

“I thought we could use some new blood. I’d seen her work around before and I knew she’d make a great addition to the line. Especially with how things have stagnated recently.” Gabriel’s eyes widened in anger at ‘stagnated.’ 

Maybe it was mental strain? After Nathalie passed, Gabriel couldn’t find another personal assistant willing to tolerate his… “quirks” for more than a month or two. Eventually, he simply decided that the only one who could do it well was himself. Likely another reason he stopped attending events. It meant less that he needed to plan for. 

“You listen here, _son_ ,” Gabriel said. “I will not trouble your delicate sensibilities about the realities of business. There are ups and downs. Just because we have suffered a poor turnout for our last event-”

“Last _five_ events, ” Adrien was quick to point out. 

“Watch yourself,” Gabriel said in a low voice full of warning. “You might think you’re king of the world out there playing as an adult, but I am your _father_ and you will do as I say.” He leaned forward, his voice barely above a whisper. “And that means not throwing in last minute tramps playing at design just so you can impress them.”

Adrien felt his blood boil in anger, but it was interrupted when his father began a coughing fit. They’d started relatively recently and it sent a spear of dread through his heart. 

“Father,” Adrien said, a little worry creeping into his voice, “are you-”

"Don’t you _dare_ act like you care!” Gabriel spat. “A dutiful son would not have abandoned me nor would he have started freelancing for other lines.” Another coughing fit cut short his tirade. “Forget it. I have more important things to do then try to talk sense into you.”

The screen went dark and Adrien’s eye twitched in barely restrained anger. He tossed the tablet onto the couch and collapsed into a boneless heap after it. Calls with his father always ended up with powerful emotions, and never any positive ones. At least with his relative independence there wasn’t really much that Gabriel could take away from him any more. Although Gabriel had destroyed more than a few nascent friendships over the years.

The coughs were worrying.

After all, it wasn’t the first time he’d seen someone get those coughs before. His mother, then Nathalie… What was going on in that mansion?

But Adrien wasn’t much in the mood for speculation. So he did what he always did when he was upset - turned off his phone, tablet, and computer.

“Adrien…?” Plagg started, the first of the kwamis to speak after the thunderous silence following the end of the call.

“I’ll be fine,” Adrien said with a sigh. “I could really go for a run, though?”

“Yeah, sure kid. Whatever makes you feel better.”

After all, as long as he made his appointments on time, who would notice if he went off the grid for a week or so?

\-------------------------

Marinette checked the discord for the fifth time that day. Still no word from Adrien, either from the general chat or the private message she’d sent him. Four days without hearing from him and they were all starting to get a little worried. 

At the same time, it had been a while since Chat Noir’s last visit to her balcony. The sudden loss of tutelage in using a miraculous was making her anxious, but it was Chat’s emotional state that had her afraid. Had he finally snapped from the pressure? What was he doing right now? 

Was he okay? Were either of them okay?

She could only hope that either of them reached out eventually…


	17. Balcony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets a visit from Chat Noir.

Two more days passed before Marinette saw Chat Noir again.

The moment she heard the light tap on the glass, she had leapt out of her chair to see if it was really him. Sure enough, when she saw those bright green eyes peering at her from the darkness, she knew without a doubt that it was him. 

There was a hint of weariness around his eyes as she opened the door, but he spoke with that same carefree tone that all of Paris had come to know and love. 

“Hey, little witch, I-”

The rest of what he was trying to say was cut off when she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close, drinking in the smell of vanilla and leather that always seemed to follow him around. He seemed to be surprised at first, but eventually he returned the hug.

“...I take it you missed me?”

Sniffling, she moved her hands to his face, keeping him from looking away. “I was worried about you, Chat! You don’t just disappear for a while like that. Anything could have happened to you!” She let go of him to let him step inside.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” Chat rubbed the back of his neck and avoided meeting her eyes. “I was going through some stuff and I usually take time to myself when I do. I didn’t realize…” He trailed off.

“What? Did you not think I’d miss you?” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Well I did, you cat! And it came at a horrible time for me too.”

“Oh?” Chat said as he sat down on her couch. Tikki emerged from her hiding spot and hovered near his shoulder. He reached up a hand mechanically to pet the side of her face. 

“Yeah… another friend of mine, Adrien, also stopped responding and we’re all getting pretty worried about him.” She sighed and rubbed her arm. “Nino especially has been pretty upset about it. They hit it off so well, you know.”

She looked back to see that the guilt about leaving her in the dark had finally set in. He managed a weak but honest smile at her. 

“Well, I’m back and I’m sure this Adrien kid will message you by this time tomorrow. I bet he just likes some time to himself too.”

“Is that so?” Marinette said with a raised eyebrow, sitting down next to Chat. “And what makes you an expert on Adrien?”

“I get where he’s coming from,” Chat said with a shrug. “I bet he has a lot of responsibilities and not a lot of people he can talk to. Like me, he is still getting used to the idea that… that there are people who would notice if he went away.”

“Chat…” She put one hand on his back and intertwined her fingers with his. Gently resting her head against his shoulder, she said, “There _are_ people who care. Always. For both you and Adrien. You have to trust me on that.”

“Thanks, Marinette,” Chat replied softly.

They sat like that for a few long minutes before Marinette suddenly stood up.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, but I realized we are going to need snacks for the movie marathon I just decided we’re going to be doing.”

Chat smiled, but then he glanced at her half-finished dress and frowned. “Are you sure you don’t have anything more important to do?”

Marinette turned back to him, scowling. “There is _nothing_ more important than taking care of my friends.”

She turned back around. For his sake, she pretended not to notice the way his eyes watered ever so slightly at those words. 


	18. Banana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets in her first akuma fight with the ladybug miraculous.

For eight years, Hawkmoth had rampaged across Paris. For eight years, Marinette had been conditioned so that if she heard screaming, then she needed to run in the opposite direction. Feeling powerless and afraid almost constantly. 

Today, for the first time in eight years, Marinette heard screaming and felt powerful. She shared a look with Tikki, who was smiling at her.

“Remember everything I’ve taught you, Marinette. Good luck!”

“Thanks, Tikki,” Marinette said. She took a deep breath. “Spots on!”

Once the transformation had ended, she looked down at her suit. While it was red with the black spots like Red Beetle’s, it also had solid black for the hands up to her elbows and her feet up to her knees. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she reflected that it was a simple design, but an effective one. Unlike when she wore the Turtle or the Black Cat miraculous, she felt a deep connection with this suit. Even though it was her first time wearing the suit, it felt like she was coming home.

Naturally, Chat Noir had already beat her there. He was doing his best to hold today’s akuma, a villain that was like a centaur with the body of a monster truck, in one spot. Her partner’s eyes lit up when he saw her. 

“Look at you!” He grinned and pointed his staff at the akuma before leaping away. “This scrap heap doesn’t even stand a chance!”

“Thanks, Chat,” she said with a smile as she landed next to him. She pulled out her yoyo and twirled it into a shield. “So what’re we dealing with?”

“What you see is what you get, for the most part. Except, well, let me show you.” He stood up straight and held his hand to the air. “Cataclysm!”

She watched as he rushed forward toward the akuma, only to abruptly turn to the side when a purple-tinged wall of force interposed between Chat and the akuma. Then the monster bull rushed toward him, with the feline hero only narrowly escaping by pole vaulting over it. If Chat were alone, there would be no way he could beat it on his own without some serious outside the box thinking. And with how physically powerful the akuma was, there wouldn’t be much time for cleverness.

Thankfully, Chat wasn’t on his own any more.

“Lucky charm!” Marinette said as she threw her yoyo into the air. Chat arrived just as the spotted object landed in her hands.

“A banana, huh?” Chat Noir raised an eyebrow and clenched his hand, dismissing the cataclysm. “Not exactly as obvious as what Red Beetle used to get, but something tells me this’ll be way more effective.” He split his staff into two batons. “Let me buy you some time, little- uh, little lady.”

She rolled her eyes playfully. “Great save, Chat.”

While Chat snared the akuma’s attention, Marinette frowned at the Lucky Charm. Her eyes roamed across the battlefield and the akuma. There had to be some way she could use it…

With it’s back turned to her, she saw her opportunity - an exhaust pipe in the back of the akuma. She made a break for it, only to collide face first with the purple force field.

The akuma turned to face her, but she recovered quickly and swung away before it could land a hit.

Her eyes flew open as a plan took shape. She kept one step ahead of the akuma as she shouted over to her partner. “Chat! Activate cataclysm again!”

“But it won’t work on a force field,” he yelled back as he took a swing at it, only for the force field to flicker back to him for a moment before returning to staying between her and it.

“Just trust me!”

“Cataclysm!” 

Just like she suspected, the moment his power was activated, the force field switched to blocking him. She abruptly turned a hundred and eighty degrees, sliding under the akuma now that there was no obstacle and landing behind it. There was just a moment where it’s eyes widened in shock before she shoved the banana in the pipe, blocking it entirely.

The giant akuma shuddered for a moment before collapsing, sparks occasionally flying out. The monster was still.

Chat looked at her with wide eyes as the corrupted butterfly emerged from somewhere without the akumatized form. Snaring it with the yoyo felt second nature to her already and as she purified it, the truck-centaur person turned into just a person with a banana about ten meters away from them. 

“That was amazing work!” Chat rushed up and picked her up into a hug just after she tossed the banana into the air and called for the ladybug cure. “I can’t remember the last time an akuma was brought down so quickly!”

She giggled. “Thanks, Chat! But remember, it was a team effort.”

“Team effort, huh?” A grin spread across his face as he put her down. “I could get used to that.”

She held out her fist and he looked at it for a long moment before bumping it with his fist. There was a noise behind them. She turned around quickly and noticed a few people emerging from cover. There were whispers all around her. Once she saw the camera and the reporter, her hand was already on her yoyo. She signed up to be a hero, not a celebrity. Before she could swing away, though, she felt a hand on her wrist. She looked back into Chat’s eyes.

“Hey, little bug,” Chat said. “Let’s at least let Paris know that they have a new protector, alright? Let the public meet their new lady.”

His words were running through her head when the first reporter reached her and asked the question on everyone’s mind.

“Who _are_ you?”

Marinette smiled and put her hands on her hips. “My name is Ladybug and I’m here to protect the people of Paris.”


	19. Tuxedo Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir attends a fancy party.

Mayor D’Argencourt’s charity Christmas ball had become something of a media sensation over the years. While at first the idea of throwing a ball at all was seen as hopelessly old fashioned, it soon won popularity once Chat Noir showed interest in going. After all, it was the least he could do for one of the few positive mentors he’d had growing up. Well, that and the endorsement he’d given for him to be mayor. 

In any case, not even twenty four hours later, philanthropist Adrien Agreste had publicly purchased the Parisian hero a ticket as thanks for all he did for the city. 

That opened the floodgates. Soon everyone who was anyone in Paris, then France, and now even neighboring countries were paying out the nose for tickets whose profits went straight into charities. While a portion always went toward psychological services for those who had been traumatized by their experiences from being akumatized, the other half went to a different charity each year. 

As he lounged against one of the grand pillars of the Parisian capitol in his finest green-accented tuxedo worn over his supersuit, Chat Noir tried to remember what this year’s other charity was. Last year was animal shelters - he distinctly remembered the many ad campaigns he’d done. After all, it felt only right for the most famous alley cat of all to lend some help to the rest of them.

So what was this year? Public works? Homeless shelters?

Regardless of what it was, he was grateful as always to his fans. Just like every year after the first, they’d really pulled together to buy his ticket and keep the spirit of goodwill alive. Of course, he’d loved to have just done it himself as Adrien, but his father had thrown such a hissy fit that doing it every year would’ve been not worth the hassle. 

Naturally, this year he’d gotten that angry call again - Why did you buy a ticket and not go yourself? The brand could use the publicity of an Agreste appearing at the charity. Why did you waste so much money on something as banal as-

Oh! Child welfare. That was the charity for this year. Very fitting that it would be _that_ which sparked another argument between the two of them. Still, there was someone else that he wanted to attend this party, someone he knew would have a fanbase of their own by next year to support them.

His eyes happened to drift over to the entrance where, coincidentally enough, she had just arrived. There was a small crowd of people around her, all of whom excited to meet the newest defender of Paris. But it wasn’t the people surrounding her that he had eyes for. 

Now, it was pretty obvious to anyone with eyes that Marinette was pretty. Witch costume? Cute. Pajamas and t-shirt? Cute. That dress she wore for the fashion show? Beautiful. But this time she’d truly outdone herself. 

The expectation he’d had was a little red number, but she had surprised him with a black satin dress that hugged her frame until it flared out at the bottom like a mermaid’s tail. The look was completed with a large red bow on her hip. Despite the simplicity of the design, he could easily tell the superb skill that had gone into the dress. Not to mention how well it fit into the design of her suit and the general atmosphere of the party. 

She saw him, her eyes lighting up and her shoulders relaxing as she elegantly swam through the crowd to reach him. Her hair swayed softly as she approached, unrestrained like it usually was and free to hang just past shoulder length.

“Hey, Chaton. I bet you didn’t expect to see me here, huh?” Ladybug giggled, the noise reminding him of wedding bells. She leaned in close to whisper conspiratorially and he caught the scent of strawberries and sugar. “Remember that friend I was talking about? He bought my ticket! Without even realizing it!” She sighed. “He really is a great guy.”

His mouth went dry. “Y-yeah, he, um… he sounds pretty great.” It was a struggle, but he managed to get his bearings again. “The Agreste kid, right? He bought mine the first year too.” He smiled down at her as she looked up at him with those brilliant blue eyes. “He must really like heroes, huh?”

She smirked and she gently elbowed his side. “I’m not sharing him with you, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

As Chat Noir was trying to grapple with the idea that he was getting jealous of himself, some people he faintly recognized as being part of his social circle (i.e. rich) approached them. 

“My dear,” a woman he could’ve sworn he should know the name of said as she got close, looking a little breathless as she glanced between the two of them before her stare fell onto Ladybug. “I absolutely _must_ know where you got that dress.”

Naturally, his partner wasn’t as used to being randomly accosted as he was, so when it was clear she wasn’t going to respond as quickly as people like this were used to, he interceded. 

“Don’t you know?” He said, framing it as if it were obvious. “This is a Dupain-Cheng original. I would’ve commissioned my suit from her as well, if it weren’t for the fact that Ladybug had already had the good sense to commission her first.”

“Dupain-Cheng…” The woman said, clearly mulling over the unfamiliar words. “Yes, yes I think I’ve heard of her before.”

“As well you should! She was a star designer in the winter Agreste fashion show. It is certainly where _I_ first heard of her. Mark my words, by this time next year, many of the dresses you see in this room will be Dupain-Cheng originals.”

“I will definitely need to keep an eye out for this rising star in the future then!” The woman laughed haughtily. “Saving Paris and then saving my closet! What can’t you do, Mr. Noir?”

“Well, macarons are still a little outside my skill set.” Chat grinned. “Other than that, not much.”

The woman left, still laughing. Chat Noir turned back to Ladybug, who was staring up at him in appreciative awe. 

“Thanks, Chat,” she whispered. “That was very sweet of you.”

“Don’t mention it, little witch,” he whispered back. Back to a normal volume, he asked as he offered his elbow, “Now, would you care to join me in having fun at this party?” 

“I would love to,” she said, taking the elbow. She quickly took the lead, dragging him out onto the middle of the floor just as a slow dance started. 

As they stood there, Chat Noir was having a difficult time understanding why his heart was pounding so hard from such a gentle motion.


	20. Cat Got Your Tongue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien talk with their kwamis.

“I just don’t understand what’s happening guys,” Adrien said as he sat on the couch, looking puzzled as he faced the handful of kwami who had emerged to talk to him.

Sass wore a bemused expression as he responded, his arms crossed in front of him. “I would have thought that it would be mossst obviousss?”

“Clearly not,” Adrien replied drily.

“You’re in love!” Mullo squeaked energetically.

Adrien shot Mullo a confused look, but Plagg responded before him.

“Now don’t scare the kid off, pipsqueak,” Plagg said as he waved his paw at Mullo. “He’s only just out of survival mode.”

“Indeed,” Sass said. “The young Guardian ought not to presssssss thingsss too quickly. Sssimply taking time to breathe for now will be best.”

“I suppose…” The mouse kwami sighed. “Still! This is a good thing, right?”

“Hold up, hold up,” Adrien said, putting his arms in an X in front of him. “Who said I’m in love? Yeah Marinette is pretty and all, and we’re good friends, but… love isn’t really for me, you know?”

The three kwamis exchanged a look.

“What?”

“Kid, that might have been true for a while, since you couldn’t add a girlfriend to the mix if you wanted to keep heroic work and your day job balanced…”

Mullo picked up where Plagg left off. “...But now that you have support - reliable, good support, that is - what’s stopping you?”

“Well…” Adrien trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. Was there really anything getting in his way now?

“Not to mention, if there isss anyone that we would like to sssee you be with, it would be her.” 

There were murmurs of agreement among the others.

“Tikki’s kid is a real smart cookie,” Plagg said, nodding.

“And very adaptable!” Mullo zoomed over to Adrien’s shoulder. “Not many people wield more than one miraculous, but the others said that she did great with them!”

“That’s true.” Adrien nodded.

“Plusss, you have made it quite clear that you appreciate her physssical form.”

Adrien looked at Sass with betrayal. “Hey! Don’t say it like that. She’s cute but-”

“Ooo! Adrien wants to _kiss_ Marinette!” Plagg cooed. “He thinks she’s _pretty_!”

“You were just trying to convince me I should date her!” Nonetheless, Adrien was blushing like he was a school kid caught with his first crush. Which, in a way, he was.

“Yeah, but I can’t really pass up a chance to tease you, now can I?” Plagg cackled and Adrien put his burning face into his hands.

\-------

Marinette leaned back away from her latest piece, checking for any spots she needed to go back over. When she couldn’t find any, she let herself sink into the couch with a satisfied sigh. She reached for the yoyo and bumped into Tikki’s head instead.

“Oh! Sorry, Tikki.”

Her kwami giggled as she passed Marinette her the yoyo. “Don’t worry, Marinette. I’m sure you’re just excited to be texting Chat Noir some more.” 

Marinette bit back her response. After all, Tikki wasn’t wrong - it was nice to have another person to talk to, the only other person that could possibly understand what she was going through with this whole hero thing. Someone who she didn’t have to hide anything from. 

For the most part, Marinette was fairly sure of herself as Ladybug. But there were always little doubts that crept around in the back of her head. Would she make a good partner and a strong hero? Would people love her half as much as they loved Chat? 

The first question, at least, Chat was more than willing to reassure her on, and she was prone to believe it. The way he talked about her, it felt like she could never fail. Just having that unshakeable confidence at her back did a lot to quiet those doubts.

Before she could send a message to Chat, she heard a familiar notification on her laptop. Sure enough, it was a new article from Alya, ready to be proofread. Which came as a bit of a surprise - Alya hadn’t said anything about a new article - but that was hardly unprecedented. Sometimes inspiration struck her randomly. 

But the real reason for the surprise article quickly became clear as she scanned the headline - “New Hero Spotted - LADYBUG!” Smaller text following it read: Finally a Champion in Red Paris Can Be Proud of.

It was one thing to have Chat Noir singing her praises, but to see it coming from Alya, who both had no idea about her secret identity _and_ had always been a huge fan of superheroes… it meant even more. Marinette was nearly moved to tears when she read about all the kind things Alya had to say about Ladybug. How well she worked with an already beloved hero. Her quick thinking and decisive action. How inspiring it was to have a female superhero to look up to, just like Majesta from the comics. And Marinette couldn’t help but laugh when Alya complimented Ladybug’s killer fashion sense, with a picture from the charity ball included at the bottom.

After reading and rereading the article, she finally found a couple things to correct to make it seem like she hadn’t thought it was pure perfection in her eyes, and sent it back to Alya. Eventually, after staring up at the ceiling in bliss for a few moments, she finally remembered to send a text on her yoyo to Chat Noir. Naturally, she told him all about the article.

 **Chat Noir:** See bugaboo? They love you already. 


	21. Fireworks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien prepare for Alya's New Year's Party.

“Hey, listen up, everybody!” Plagg yelled as he entered the room in front of Adrien. “The kid is going to a party! And no,” the kwami quickly added as a few others tried to ask questions all at once, “it’s not one that rotten ol’ Gabe is making him go to!”

Adrien entered the living room to cheers and applause from all the kwamis under his care. The only thing stopping him from rolling his eyes were his own nerves. Soon, many of them were zooming and swirling around him as he walked through the room, checking and double checking his attire. 

“What’s the matter, bucko?” Stompp said, a frown gracing her face. “I’d thought you’d be chompin’ at the bit to go wild outside your papa’s watch.”

“I am, but…” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “The only one I’ve actually hung out with in person has been Marinette. And most of the time, that wasn’t Adrien exactly.”

“Kid, it’s just a mask. I don’t see what the big deal is. Plus,” Plagg said with a teasing grin, “I know you’re looking forward to seeing Tikki’s kid today. Hm…?”

Adrien gently pushed Plagg aside when he leaned close into his face, but Adrien refused to meet his eye. The cat kwami snickered as he floated away. Adrien might like Marinette, but he had no idea if she felt the same way or if he could even afford the luxury of having a girlfriend right now. Necessity had forced romance out of his life a long time ago. 

“Besides Marinette,” Adrien said, trying to get back on topic, “I don’t know anyone there. I’m meeting all these people for the first time!” He put a comb through his hair for the third time that night. “What if I just end up lurking next to the food table and being a downer to the rest of them?”

“I’m confused,” Mullo said, scrunching up their nose. “Haven’t you been talking with them using the aether for a while?”

“The device he usssesss is called the internet, Mullo,” Sass corrected gently. “Not the aether.”

“Still. Does the Guardian not already know these other humans?”

“I mean… yes, I suppose,” Adrien conceded. “But-”

“Not buts, kid,” Plagg said definitively. “You’re going to go out there and have a great time instead of slacking here with these guys. Do you understand me?”

“Oooh, the time for another year has already come?” Orikko clucked happily, dancing in midair. “I’m so happy to hear I haven’t missed it!”

“Don’t worry, Orikko, I set an alarm to let you know when midnight hits,” Adrien said as he scratched beside the rooster kwami’s beak. 

“Speaking of not worrying, that same thing but to you, kid.” Plagg was tugging at his sleeve. “C’mon, let’s _go_. Sass has got it handled here.”

Adrien glanced at the snake kwami, who nodded. “Pleassse enjoy yourssself, Massster.”

“Trust yourself!” Mullo said, floating up to Adrien’s face height. “I am sure they will love you just as much as we do!”

“See?” Plagg motioned a paw toward Mullo. “Now come _on_ , I don’t want you to sit here until you give yourself cold feet. And I’m not about to let you pass up the opportunity to hang out with people born in the same geological era as you!”

“You’re right.” Adrien took a deep breath and let himself get a little excited. “Come on, Plagg, let’s go.”

“‘Course I’m right,” Plagg muttered as he flew into Adrien’s coat pocket. “When am I ever _not_ right?”

The sun had already set by the time Adrien had gotten into his car, but there was still plenty of time before the main event of the night. It was a long drive to the part of Paris where Alya lived, long enough to let Adrien think about how time had changed him. Eight years ago he would’ve _jumped_ at the chance to go to a party and make friends. 

But having one thing after another ripped out from underneath him had changed his perspective. Being stopped from going to public school. The many parties thrown by coworkers his father had prevented him from seeing. Not to mention all the stuff he’d been forced to bail on because of an akuma attack. Isolation thanks to his family and his duties had done well to keep him from having friends.

But tonight… maybe tonight would be different. The old embers of optimism burned bright inside him, despite what the years had done to extinguish them. 

He found a place to park his car and walked up to the apartment. His hands were stuffed into his pockets to ward off the chill and he was still lost in his thoughts by the time he arrived at the front door. His hand touched the door knob at the same time as someone else. 

Startled, he looked to see who he had bumped into only to get lost in big, blue eyes. 

\--------------

“Marinette, I promise you look fine,” Tikki said patiently as her chosen ran a brush through her hair nervously. Tikki smirked. “I’m sure Adrien will love what you’re wearing.”

Marinette fumbled her brush, dropping it. “Don’t just _say_ that!”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not getting dressed up just for him!”

“Oh?” Tikki said innocently. Far too innocently. “Are you expecting Chat Noir to make an appearance too?”

A blush spread across Marinette’s face as she groaned. “Don’t even joke about that. I don’t know what I’d do if both Adrien _and_ Chat Noir were both at the party.”

“I wouldn’t be too worried about that if I were you,” Tikki said with a knowing smile. She floated off of the desk where she was sitting and toward Marinette. “You know, this might be a good chance to spend some quality time with Adrien, if that’s what you want.”

“To be honest? I don’t know what exactly I want.” Marinette sighed and sat down, smoothing her skirt as she did so. “It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way about someone, so to have it happen with _two_ people almost at the same time…”

“Did you not have any crushes growing up? I’ve heard that’s pretty common for young humans.”

“I mean, some I guess. Definitely nothing that I’ve acted on. And before you ask, yes I have dated. But never anything serious.”

“But you want something serious with one of them?”

“Yes? Maybe? I don’t know,” Marinette said, burying her face in her hands and groaning. “I don’t like to rush into things, but… I haven’t felt a connection like this before.” She waved her hands around. “And now I’ve got two of them!”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out! I’ve had a lot of chosen, but never one as clever as you.” Tikki landed on Marinette’s shoulder. “Why don’t you tell me about your friend’s party? To help get your mind off it.”

“Well…” Marinette said, calming down now that she was switching tracks in her mind. She grabbed her purse, which Tikki rushed into. “Alya got a taste for throwing parties back in university, so they’ve gotten pretty big sometimes. Like the Halloween one where I met Chat - she was selling tickets to that through the Cat Chat.” 

Marinette left her apartment, closing the door behind her. She didn’t live that far from Alya’s place, one of many reasons she lived here in the first place. A few minutes of walking and she’d be there. 

Tikki frowned. “Are there going to be a lot of people at this one too?”

“No, no,” Marinette said, waving her hand dismissively. “The New Year’s party is usually pretty small. There are usually about ten of us, mostly her and Nino’s friends. It’s nice.”

“So what do you do there?”

Marinette shrugged. “Same thing most people do at parties, I guess. Play games, drink, dance, talk. Although New Year’s is a little special because her apartment has a great view of the fireworks show the city does.”

“Wow! That _does_ sound fun!”

“Right? Anyway, I’m also pretty nervous because Adrien said he’d try to make it. Nino and Alya have been dying to meet him, but…”

“But?”

“Well, they tend to worry too much about me. Which makes _me_ worried that they’ll scare him away by trying to get us together.” She entered the building through the backway, a little shortcut she’d learned over the past couple years.

“Hm…” Tikki hummed, a ghost of a smile at her lips. “That’s definitely a dilemma. Be a shame if they got the two of you to really hit it off with each other.”

“Tikki,” Marinette whined as the door to Alya’s apartment came into view.

“I’m just teasing, Marinette. But still, it wouldn’t be _too_ bad, right?”

Before Marinette could respond, her hand touched the doorknob at the same time someone else’s did. She jumped and was about to apologize when she looked up into bright green eyes.

Both of them stood staring at each other for much longer than Marinette would care to admit. This was the first time they’d seen one another since when they had first met at the fashion show, even if they’d talked plenty of times online. 

Eventually, Adrien rubbed the back of his neck and said, “Hey-”

Naturally he was cut off when the door flew open, Alya standing on the other side. Now, Marinette had known her friend long enough to notice the tell-tale signs of being tipsy and right now Alya checked off all those boxes. Clearly either Marinette and Adrien were the last ones to arrive, or Alya had gotten a head start on the night’s festivities. 

That likely contributed to how Alya grabbed them both by the arms and practically dragged them inside, although Marinette wouldn’t put it past her to do that even stone cold sober. 

“Come _on_ you two, stop standing outside the door like a couple of weirdos,” she said, laughing. She turned her head toward another part of the apartment and raised her voice. “Hey, babe! Your buddy is here! Come on and meet him!”

Nino poked his head from around the corner, where Marinette knew their living room and therefore game consoles were, and saw his face split into a grin when he spotted Adrien.

“DUDE!” He rushed forward and gently punched Adrien’s arm. “I can’t believe I finally get to meet you! Come on, let me show ya around my crib. It might not be what you’re used to, but me casa es tu casa!” 

Nino chuckled and threw an arm around a confused Adrien’s shoulders. Adrien glanced back at her and gave her a slightly worried smile and a wave before he disappeared.

“So,” Alya said, dragging Marinette’s attention back to her. She was looking awfully focused despite the handful of drinks Marinette knew she must have already had. “Let’s talk about you and blondie, hm?

Marinette groaned. It was going to be a long party.


	22. Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Countdown for a New Year.

“What’s your take, babe?” Alya asked as she leaned her elbows on the kitchen counter, watching her best friend tentatively chat up the surprisingly shy model. They’d found a pair of chairs and set up in the corner. 

Nino followed her stare. “Dude’s nerves are shot, babe, but no doubt he’s got a thing for her. It’s pretty cute.”

“And you know what’d be even cuter?”

“Hm?” It suddenly clicked with Nino. “Woah, babe. You know how she feels about you gettin’ involved with her whole shebang. Plus they’re making progress.” He glanced over at them, still seated a far too respectable distance from each other and struggling to make prolonged eye contact. “I mean, I’ve seen glaciers move faster, but still.”

Alya rolled her eyes. “I love my girl and all but she tends to get too caught up in her own head to ever act on her heart. We gotta do something about that or she’ll just let this chance slip by again.”

“Well…” Alya turned around to see Nino tugging at his beanie. 

“What?” 

“You might not be too off the mark there, now that I think of it.” He joined her in leaning on the counter and gestured to Adrien with his chin. “I’ve been talking to that bro for a few weeks now and I get the feeling he’s not the kinda dude to let himself have anything he wants. Some messed up stuff his daddio drilled into his head.”

They watched their friends - new and old - be adorably awkward for a few more seconds. 

“They’d be good for each other,” Alya eventually said. 

“Yeah… they would,” Nino said with a sigh. “Okay, babe. What’s your plan?”

\-------------

“Hey, you two!” Alya said as she approached, two drinks in hand. While Adrien looked attentive, as if he would be graded on how well he remembered whatever Alya said next, Marinette gave her a suspicious look. “So how’re you liking the party?”

“It’s great!” Adrien smiled as he took the offered drink. “Definitely much more fun than the parties I usually go to. Although I get the feeling Nino will be challenging me to a rematch before the night is done.”

Alya snickered - Adrien probably wasn’t wrong. Nino didn’t usually get competitive, but when he did… 

“Fun as usual, Alya,” Marinette said, taking a small sip out of her drink. Alya had made her favorite cocktail, so there was no doubt in her mind it’d be finished soon enough. “I couldn’t recognize the other two couples, though?”

“Oh, I’ve been working with Anne on a few pieces recently and Nino has been recording music with Fabien for a couple months now.”

“I didn’t know Nino was making original stuff now,” Marinette said with a frown.

“He’s been keeping it secret for now, so don’t worry about being out of the loop, girl.” Alya patted Marinette’s knee. “Anyway, just thought I’d ask you two a question. Official Cat Chat stuff, you know?” 

“Go ahead!” Adrien said. “I’d be happy to answer.”

“Aw, spoken like a true fan, blondie! Anyway - how do you two feel about the new hero, Ladybug?”

The question didn’t get quite the reaction she’d expected. Marinette paled and Adrien got a sly look on his face.

“Well,” Adrien said, his smile turning soft as he looked at Marinette. “I think she’s very smart, creative, and brave. Not a lot of people would be willing to take up a miraculous with Hawkmoth’s akumas being like they are these days. 

Marinette quickly glanced between Adrien and Alya before muttering out a quiet reply. “Y-yeah, what he said.”

“Speaking of the Cat Chat,” Adrien said, “have you been keeping up?”

“Of course!” Marinette smiled at Alya out of the corner of her eye. “How else am I supposed to get the best news on Paris’s heroes?”

“I’ll leave you two to it then,” Alya said as she walked away. She grinned as she heard the conversation pick up behind her. 

“Looks like it went well,” Nino said once she was back in the kitchen. “Great job, babe.”

“Thanks.” Alya poured herself another drink. “Between them getting a little tipsy and having something to talk about, things better be moving faster than glacially now.”

“Right, right.” Nino adjusted his beanie. “Still think I’ll need to do my part of it?”

Alya hummed approvingly around her glass as she took a gulp. “Oh for sure. We want them to be good and ready when midnight rolls around.”

“Gotcha, babe.”

\--------------

It was getting close now, Adrien could feel it. He wasn’t sure how people usually celebrated these things, but in his experience with the kwami it was mostly cheering and applause. 

So when Nino started a music playlist, Adrien wasn’t entirely sure what to do. At least, not until he saw Anne and Fabien take their respect dates into the room, clear some space, and start dancing to the beat. Even Nino and Alya seemed to be getting in on it now. When he caught Nino’s eye, he simply nodded toward Marinette and winked. 

Adrien knew what his heart wanted but…

Come to think of it, his heart had been right a lot recently. Why not try his luck some more?

Adrien stood and held out a hand to Marinette, trying to look as cool and suave as he could while doing it.

“Care to dance?”

“I don’t know if...” Marinette took a deep breath. “Actually? Sure. Let’s dance.”

It was a little rough at first - Adrien was slowly starting to realize that outside the spots, she was pretty clumsy. Still, he barely noticed his stepped on toes and her occasional fumbling over the beating of his heart. Even that eventually began to fade into the background as songs began to bleed into each other, the tempo gradually dropping until the two of them were slowly swaying in circles. 

What finally pulled him out of the moment was Alya’s sudden cheer.

“It’s almost time, guys!” One arm around her boyfriend, Alya began counting down. “Ten! Nine!”

The rest of them began picking up the chant too.

“Eight! Seven!”

Couples pulled closer and his heart sped for a different reason.

“Six! Five!”

Panic gripped him as the others leaned in.

“Four! Three!”

He looked at Marinette, her own eyes wide. She looked at him and a wordless conversation passed between them.

“Two! One!”

 _Yes. And you?_ She said with her eyes.

“Zero! Happy New Year!” 

Yes, he said with his lips as he pressed them to hers. 


	23. Blush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette spend the night at Alya's place.

“You know,” Alya said, breaking Marinette out of the trance she’d fallen into, “you two have to come up for air eventually.”

Suddenly her eyes flew open wide and she sprung away from Adrien at the same time he did. There was a murmur of laughter around them as their faces turned red. She glanced over her shoulder at Adrien as she walked away, just in time to see Nino clap him on his shoulder. Almost as if he felt her eyes on him, he looked toward her and their eyes met one more time. 

Marinette looked away first and scrambled away into the kitchen. Hopefully she could find something in there to take her mind off things - some food, a drink, _anything_. 

“I know I called you a minx before, girl.” Marinetet jumped as Alya spoke right behind her. “But even I wasn’t sure you’d have it in you.”

Putting her hands on her hips, Marinette turned around and pouted at her best friend. “I knew you were plotting something when you were asking about Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

“Plotting sounds a little much, don’t you think?” Alya said with a grin. “All I really did was give a little nudge. If one of you wasn’t into the other, it _def_ would not have worked. And yet…”

Marinette groaned, but she couldn’t deny what Alya was saying. In that moment, seeing everyone else leaning in and hearing the seconds count down, Marinette had felt things become crystal clear. It was like when she got a lucky charm and everything aligned and the answer practically fell into her lap. Maybe Alya was right after all.

With the fireworks long passed and the main event of the night over, the party quickly died down. Nino and Alya’s work friends left, but Marinette had intended to stay the night the whole time anyway. What came as a surprise was _Adrien_ staying as well. At least, it was a surprise until she discovered he’d driven here. He wasn’t drunk by any means, but he’d had enough that he really shouldn’t be on the road. 

Which meant that as the lights went out and their hosts went to bed, it was just the two of them sleeping in the living room. Adrien had graciously given her the couch to sleep on despite her insistence that he could have it. In the quiet darkness, she could just about see his rough outline on the floor as she laid on her back, and could hear his rhythmic breathing.

She had thought he was asleep, at least until he spoke. 

“Marinette?” He asked, his voice was so quiet she almost thought he hadn’t spoken at all. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “You?” She shook her head. “Sorry, of course you’re awake. What’s up?”

There was a long pause, so long she thought he’d fallen asleep for real this time. 

“Do you… maybe want to get a coffee sometime?”

“...A coffee?”

“Well, something like that. If you don’t want to have coffee, I’m sure we can-”

“Adrien,” she said with a smile and a blush so bright she was sure she was glowing and a smile to match. “I’d love to get some coffee with you.”


	24. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien debates the benefits of confessing who he really is to Marinette.

“Is it too soon?” 

Adrien said the question as he sat on his bed. He looked up at his audience of five kwamis, the only ones that were awake when he got back home early in that morning. He knew he was going to crash soon, which is all the more reason to decide now.

Longg exchanged a concerned look with Wayzz before speaking. “I am… unsure about the wisdom in revealing your most well guarded secret to someone so soon.”

“I must agree, Adrien,” Wayzz said, nodding. “Not only has Ladybug only been with you for two-”

“Three,” Adrien interrupted. “There was a fight yesterday, remember?”

“Ah, yes. Still, she has three battles under her battle and you are about to go on a courtship ritual with her soon. Is that a strong enough bond to risk this secret with?”

“Woah there you two,” Plagg said, glaring at the other kwami. “We all agreed she was good enough to take on Tikki’s powers, right? What makes her so untrustworthy _now_?”

“There was other motives at work there as well,” Longg said. “Time, for example. As had been proven frequently on the battlefield, despite our master’s skill even he could not fight alone.” 

“Very true!” Wayzz nodded, crossing his arms and legs as he sat in the air. “A new chosen had to be called as quickly as possible. But now, we have no such time constraint. The two of them could grow closer and Master Adrien could decide later if she can be trusted with his identity.”

“First off,” Trixx said, his eyes gleaming and tail flicking in irritation. “She’s been in three scraps as _Ladybug_ , but I notice that neither of you two mentioned those were only half the ones she’s been in before.” He stared at Wayzz. “Remember when she wielded _your_ miraculous, shell boy?”

“...Yes. She was… admirable as a chosen, despite my powers not being the ideal match for her.”

“Uh huh. She saved the kit’s butt back there. And speaking of saving the big guy’s butt - remember when she took up the fight when he got the stuffing knocked out of him?” Trixx put his paws on his face in a look of false shock. “Oh wait! _Which_ time? Cuz she did it twice.” He flashed a fanged grin as he spun upside down. “Just as a reminder.”

“Adrien has done well to safeguard his identity over the last eight years, despite many trials,” Longg said, getting between Trixx and Wayzz. “I would prefer that we not end that tradition over a bond barely over two months old.”

“It is a tradition older than that,” Wayzz added. “This wisdom comes from Master Fu and his guardianship. We should not be so quick to abandon it. This is a time when cool reasoning ought to prevail over passions of the heart.”

Adrien took a deep breath and looked at the last kwami. “What’s your take in all this, Mullo?”

The mouse kwami shrugged. “I’m split on the issue. On the one hand, once a secret has been shared, it cannot be taken back. But on the other, Marinette has proven to be a trusted ally and friend. If we cannot trust a fellow chosen, who can we?”

Adrien sighed. That was the problem with seeking the advice of the kwami - they were all wise in their own way, but that didn’t mean that they agreed on much.

“I’ll have to think on it.” Adrien yawned. “Thanks for the help, guys.”

The kwami murmured in response and went their separate ways, leaving Adrien to crash against the sheets. Hopefully after a nap, the right choice would be a little clearer.

\------------

Two days later and halfway through their date at a cute little cafe, and Adrien was still no closer to deciding on whether or not he should share his identity. 

That wasn’t to say that the date so far had been bad, of course. Marinette was every bit the capable and adorable woman he’d come to know as Chat Noir. The idea of getting to know her even better, of hanging out with her during the day and at places other than her living room - it was exciting. 

And then she smiled and it all clicked for him. He couldn’t imagine not sharing his life and all that came with it with her. His heart’s demands couldn’t be ignored any longer. 

“Marinette,” he said as he reached across the table to take her hand, “there’s something I want to tell you…”

She looked at him with wide, blue eyes and he had to take a moment to calm the fierce pounding of his heart - nerves and love were proving more of a work out than jumping across the city.

“I’m-”

He was cut off by the screams. His eyes shut and he sighed from the depths of his soul. Leave it to Hawkmoth to ruin his first date.

When he opened his eyes, Marinette had gotten up and was pulling him out of the shop and down the street. The moment had passed and doubt was starting to creep in again. 

“We should split up because, um...” Marinette said. Adrien watched with slight amusement as she tried to come up with an excuse for why they should split up so she could become Ladybug. “I have to check on my parents! And you should head home, where its safe.”

There were lots of things he could say to poke holes in that excuse - if her parents’ place was safe, shouldn’t they both go? And if it wasn’t, then he shouldn’t let _her_ go. But he decided to let it go to make it easier on both of them.

“Right.” He let go of her hand and darted off in a different direction. “Good luck!”

He waved at her until she was out of sight, then ducked in an abandoned alley.

“Stupid Hawkmoth ruining everything,” Plagg said as he emerged from Adrien’s bag, arms crossed and tail flicking back and forth irritatedly. “So close too…”

“Yeah, but maybe its for the best. Wayzz might be right. Sometimes being the Guardian means ignoring my heart and using my head.” Adrien shrugged. “I’m sure there will be a better time eventually.”

Plagg rolled his eyes. “You’re just saying that ‘cause you’re spooked, but whatever floats your boat, kid. Say the magic words.”

“Plagg, claws out!”


	25. Blep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir talks with Ladybug after an akuma fight.

After they took down the akuma, Ladybug purified the butterfly and looked around for Chat Noir. She found him helping the victim to her feet. After a few words of comfort, he locked eyes with Ladybug and glanced toward a spot off on the horizon behind her. She understood immediately and nodded.

Once they were done with the press, she headed off in the direction that he’d pointed toward. It wasn’t hard to find him - even without the tracker in her yoyo, there weren’t a lot of places that they just hung out at. She found him sitting on his haunches like a cat, staring out at the horizon. 

Despite how cute it looked, she knew it wasn’t a good sign. His cat tendencies only came out when he was exhausted or when his mind was somewhere else. Whenever he didn’t have the energy or focus to fight those instincts down. 

She took a seat next to him and gently tapped his temple. “What’s going on up here, chaton?”

“What was your take on that akuma fight?”

Ladybug thought about it for a moment. “Well… it wasn’t Hawkmoth’s best work. We beat the akuma in practically no time at all.” She bit her lip for a moment as she debated what she was about to say next. But they were partners - they ought to share as much as they could. “Which I’m pretty happy about since that same akuma messed up my date today.”

A flicker of a smile passed across Chat’s face. “How was it? At least, the half that wasn’t ruined by a sudden fight.”

“He’s a sweet guy. Funny too - he’s got _much_ better jokes than your puns,” she said, smirking at him. Chat snorted. “Although he still doesn’t seem that confident yet. I’m hoping he’ll open up a little more.”

“With you, little witch, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time,” Chat said, patting her on the back. “But back to my point - that akuma was very easy. Why?”

Ladybug frowned. “What do you mean ‘why’? Maybe he’s just scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

“Maybe,” Chat said with a nod. “But I think part of it is that Hawkmoth didn't talk to this one at all.”

“Wait, really?”

“Mhm. The mask never showed up. Which means that he had to have been distracted by something. Or otherwise not paying attention to the fight.”

“Alright… so what do we do about it?”

“I’m sure if there is anything _to_ do about it. I just wanted to bring it up so you’re on your toes.” Chat seemed to finally realize how he was sitting and adjusted to a less feline position. There was a slight blush peeking out from under his mask as he said, “I’ve been fighting this guy for a while, I’ve gotten a feel for when he’s planning something. And I’ve got one heck of a bad feeling about all this.”

Ladybug looked at Chat Noir and was made painfully aware of just how long he’d been carrying the weight of Paris on his shoulders. All without any emotional support from his partner, even going for a while without a partner at all. Not for the first time in the last eight years, she worried about Chat Noir. Only this time, she understood the pressure he was under a bit better.

They sat there for a few long minutes. She really ought to call Adrien soon, but… first, she needed to help take Chat’s mind off of things. 

“Hey, chaton.” He looked over at her distractedly. “Wanna play some tag?”

Before he could respond, she’d pushed him while jumping to her feet and shouting, “You’re it!”

She ran without bothering to look back, but soon enough she heard his loud laughter, pure as a spring rain, and the clatter of his boots behind her. He didn’t suffer as the one who was it for very long and before she knew it, Ladybug was chasing him across the city. 


	26. Toe Beans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette finds some very distinctive footprints in the snow.

Another day, another time that Marinette finds herself going home at night. The critical difference this time being that she wasn’t walking home, but running. Specifically on the rooftops. As it turns out, there was one thing better than having a superhero walk you home and that was _being_ the superhero. 

Granted, it was a little dangerous this time of year with the snow everywhere and the chill. The suits were more insulating than they looked, but not by a lot. But she was thankful for the snow when she saw a unique footprint - a boot with feline toe beans - on one rooftop. 

She stared at it for a long moment. The snow was fresh, which meant that Chat Noir couldn’t have passed through here more than half an hour ago. Today wasn’t a day for him to patrol, but neither was it for her. Maybe he was just out for a run or maybe he was heading home. Something in her gut was telling her that something was off though.

Making a quick decision, she changed her course and followed the tracks. If she found him and he was fine, then she’d lost nothing. But if he wasn’t…

Ladybug spotted him with his arms crossed on a low wall, staring out into the illuminated city. His cat ears twitched at the sound of her shoes crunching the snow beneath them. He sniffled and she knew in her heart that it wasn’t from the cold. He wiped the back of his hand against his eyes before he turned around, a fake smile plastered on his face.

“Hey, little witch-”

“No, none of that,” Ladybug said as she sat down on the wall. “Don’t hide from me, chaton. We’re partners, right? We help each other.” She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Chat’s smile slowly fell off and his ears drooped. “That obvious, huh?”

“Only to the people who know you, chaton.”

A ghost of a smile floated across his face. “Fair enough.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t get that into the details, but… its about my father.”

Ladybug blinked. Over all the years he’d been protecting Paris, he’d let pieces of his civilian life slip through, but most of them had turned out to be false and at least half of it contradicted the other. Some people were _still_ convinced that he’d gotten his powers from a radioactive cat. It had all been very frustrating for Alya. Was she finally about to learn something about the life of the man behind the mask?

“My father… well, there’s no nice way of saying this. He’s a dick.” 

Ladybug stared at Chat in shock. She couldn’t imagine talking that way about her own dad. 

He didn’t seem to notice her stare and continued. “He’s just… a terrible person and a regular contender for the Bad Man of Paris. The fact that he keeps losing to Hawkmoth is no doubt a big contributor to his constant bad mood.” His fingers began tapping rhythmically on the wall. “We fight all the time, but its been getting worse lately.” He glanced at her before turning his attention back to his hands. “That’s why I’m out here, actually. He… said some things. Awful things.” 

He frowned, his hands stilling as he no doubt remembered the conversation. She reached out to hold his hand. He looked up at her in surprise before staring off into the distance. 

“But that wasn’t what got me.” He swallowed, his green eyes misting up. “No. You see, he hasn’t been doing too well lately. Really showing his years and then some. And today… he just lost himself to a coughing fit. Nearly passed out.”

“Oh no…” Ladybug said, covering her mouth. 

“That’s not the worst part, if you’d believe it. What really gets me is that I’ve seen it before.” Chat stared into the distance for a long while before speaking again. “It’s just like how my mother was, just before she disappeared.”

Ladybug gasped aloud. “Chat, I’m so sorry…”

“No, no, _I’m_ sorry,” he said with a sigh. “This isn’t your problem, I shouldn’t be dropping it at your feet.”

“Chaton, we’re partners and _friends_. Don’t apologize for this, I’m here for you.”

“...Thanks, little witch. I’m glad I ran into you at that party,” he said with a small smile. “I guess… I’ve just got a lot of mixed feelings about my father, skewing toward the negative. Still, I don’t _want_ to see anything bad happen to him. He’s about the only family I’ve got left.”

They sat in silence for a few long moments. Eventually, Ladybug stood up and wiped the snow of her legs. 

“C’mon, Chaton.”

“Huh?” Chat looked at her with a puzzled expression. “Where are we going?”

“My place. I’m not leaving you alone with your thoughts and I get the feeling you need to get your mind off things.” She tugged at his arm and he stood up. “I’ll make you some hot chocolate. We can watch a few movies.”

Chat smiled for real this time as he wrapped her in a grateful hug. “I’d like that.”


	27. Kitten Noir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette takes care of Chat Noir.

“Feeling better?” 

Marinette looked over at him wrapped up in one of her blankets, rubbing his face against the soft material. In a stark contrast to how she’d found him a couple hours ago, he was looking content and about at peace as she could expect from someone who was going through as much as he was. 

“Mhm. Amazing how much a warm plate of pasta can do for the heart and soul,” Chat said with a sigh. He gave her a soft smile. “Thank you for that. And also for letting me talk through the last movie. I know it’s a bad habit, but…”

She smirked. “As long as the comments are funny and I’ve already seen the movie, I’ll let you off the hook.” 

“So,” Chat said, picking up the remote and looking through the movies they had available. “What do you want to watch next?”

“So long as it’s not a monster movie, I’ll be fine.”

“What?” Chat grinned, a teasing lilt to his voice. “Already tired of monsters in your day to day life now that you can fight them?”

Marinette wrung her hands, but her silence was an answer all its own. The smirk melted off Chat’s face, replaced by concern. Setting down the remote, he spun around on the couch and scooted a little closer to her. He tapped her forehead daintily with one of his claws.

“What’s going on up here, witchy bug?”

“I’m just…” She sighed. “I know it sounds bad, but the excitement of being a hero and taking the fight to Hawkmoth has kind of… faded away a little? And now-”

“Which just leaves you with a bunch of worry and a heavy weight on your shoulders?” Chat smiled warmly at Marinette and put his hand on her shoulder. “Welcome to where I was near the start of this adventure.”

She relaxed under his touch, thankful that he didn’t seem to be mad about it. After all, she was the one that practically begged him for the miraculous and now it almost sounded like she was getting cold feet.

“I’m just… Sometimes I freeze up randomly because it hits me that all of Paris is watching me now. I’m one of the few people with the strength to fight Hawkmoth’s akumas, but sometimes I have trouble believing that I really can. How do you do it? How do you do _anything_?”

“To be honest? You just have to act without thinking. Pretend like you have already won and now you’re just going through the motions to get there. If you pretend long enough, you start to believe it yourself. Be bold!” He flexed. “Be risky!”

“That’s your advice? Forget your fear and just do it?”

Chat shrugged. “Take it or leave it, little witch. It took me a few akuma fights and a bunch of beat downs to get that through my head. If you’re lost up here,” he tapped her forehead again. “You’ve already lost. You’ve got to at least try and push past the doubt. Feel it, but don’t let it control you.”

He pulled her into a half hug and bumped his head against hers. “And don’t worry - I believe in you, and I’ll always be right behind you if you need me. What else are partners for?” He perked up when he glanced at the screen. “Oh! I love this movie.”

The next film started and while Chat Noir spent that time cracking puns and making fun of decisions by the main characters, Marinette thought about what he’d said. It might not have been the most earth shattering advice she’d heard, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized her biggest enemy in all this had been herself.

And she remembered what he’d said when they had first met about up and coming designers. Maybe he was right. She couldn’t be an up and coming designer forever, always pretending that she was moving up in the world when all it felt like was that she was standing still. She’d made _some_ gains, of course, but it wasn’t even half of what she had dreamed of. At some point, she had to become established, make herself heard. 

Maybe it was time to act like she was the designer she hoped to be. 

...Later, she amended as the next film started. 


	28. Lights Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette go on a stay-at-home date.

Weeks passed. Akumas were fought - none of them came closer to beating the two of them, but Marinette could tell that this only made Chat more anxious. That feeling in his gut that something bad was about to happen hadn’t gone away, not fully. 

Marinette didn’t pay much attention to it, though. After all, Chat Noir was the expert on all things Hawkmoth between them and there were other things for her to focus on. Things like pushing herself harder - doubling down on expanding her online store and all the while applying for a number of fashion shows and internships. 

Her personal life was hardly suffering either. How could it when her friends were doing great and when she had gotten to go on more dates with Adrien?

Adrien…

He had really started to open up to her and the more he did the more she found to like about him. His wit always kept things interesting and had her laughing all the time, but what really got her was his gentle kindness. It was a quality that she had admired in Chat Noir for all these years, a quality that she had gotten to know personally over the last few months. 

Her heart did a little flip at the thought of him. She couldn’t deny that she’d started to feel something for the feline hero, but she couldn’t regret her decision to pursue Adrien. After all, how would that have even worked if she couldn’t know his identity? And besides, Adrien was hardly a second place prize himself. 

She drew her coat closer to herself as she opened the car door and stepped out into the cold. It wasn’t much of a walk from Adrien’s driveway to his front door, but she’d never liked the chill. 

“Sorry if it isn’t much,” Adrien said with an apologetic smile, his hand on the doorknob, “I’m not much of an interior decorator, despite how much time I spend in here.”

“I live in a shoebox, hot stuff, I’m sure it’s fine.”

“And I’m sure it's a beautiful shoebox,” he said with a smirk. He opened the door, and she got her first good look at his living space.

All in all? It was basically what she expected of a rich, bored bachelor - extra space, fancy appliances, a bunch of forms of entertainment from game consoles to books. It was tidier than what she had expected, with one exception.

“What’s with that pillow pit thing?” She asked as she hung up her coat at the entry. 

His face was adorably confused and he followed her eyes until he saw the pit in question. He swallowed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Uh, don’t worry about that, I’ve been meaning to tear it down and run the stuff through the washing machine for a few days anyway.” He laughed nervously.

“O...kay then?” She smiled in confusion. Why was he embarrassed about it? “Can we make one for the two of us to watch movies from?”

He looked at her with wide eyes. “Sure! I have some in my hallway closet.”

True to his word, Adrien took the pile of soft things away - which looked almost like a cat’s nest, but she didn’t think he had any pets - and brought out fresh pillows and blankets. A few minutes later and they were cuddled close together as they began to watch some movies they’d been meaning to get to. Which proved to be a good idea as the night stretched on and the cold February night began to sink into even the house itself. 

She knew it was time to call it quits when Adrien could barely keep his eyes open to make sly remarks anymore. 

“I think it’s time for bed, mister model,” she said, stretching out her arms. She glanced out the window to confirm her suspicions. “And it looks like we’re snowed in for now. Mind if I stay the night?”

“No problem,” he said with a yawn. “My bedroom’s at the end of the hall. Feel free to take my bed for the night.” He stood and stretched, very clearly barely on his feet.

“What? I can’t do that.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I washed the sheets and everything this morning.”

“No, I mean I’m not about to kick you out of your own bed,” she said, crossing her arms as she pulled herself onto the couch. “Where would _you_ sleep? A guest bed?”

Adrien smirked, but there was a touch of sadness behind his eyes. “You’re the first guest I’ve had in ages, why would I need a guest bedroom? Anyway, you’re sitting on my bed for tonight.”

She glanced down at the couch with a frown and a shiver. “It’s way too cold in here for you.”

“Same for you.”

There was a long moment of silence between them. An idea occurred to her, and a warm blush spread across her cheeks.

“There… might be a solution here,” she began hesitantly.

“Oh?”

“We could, you know, _share_ the bed?” She bit her lip. “I’m assuming it’s pretty big, right?”

“I-” He cleared his throat. “Yes, the bed. Very large. King sized.”

“Well, there we go.” She stood and suddenly realized she didn’t have anything to change into. “Um…”

“I have a shirt and some shorts you can borrow, if you want.” His face was beet red as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“That’ll do.” 

Half an hour later and Marinette laid in complete darkness, wearing borrowed clothes and listening to Adrien’s breathing become deeper and more rhythmic as he drifted off. She had expected to feel awkward with his set up, but if anything she just felt… comfortable. Secure.

She fell asleep easily that night, feeling warm despite the biting cold and driving snow just outside. 


	29. Pajamas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette wakes up at Adrien's place.

It was still chilly when Marinette woke up the next morning. Squinting against the pale light of her phone, she was surprised to see just how early she’d woken. It wasn’t like her, but now that she was up, she couldn’t bring herself to go back to sleep.

She slipped one foot out of the bed and touched her bare toes against the floor, shivering when she felt the cold wood beneath her feet. Pulling one of the blankets off the bed, she wrapped it around herself and made her way out of the bedroom. 

It took her a moment to register it in her groggy state, but when she did, a jolt of energy rushed through her, washing away the tiredness. It was the sound of murmured voices, carried through the hallway she was walking down. They sounded like they were coming from the living room, halfway between her and the bathroom. 

Moving slowly, she crept toward the doorway, scanning for anything she could grab and use as a weapon in a moment’s notice. A floorboard creaked underneath her and she froze. The voices had stopped and she cursed, rushing forward and poking her head around the corner.

There was no one there except for one little red bug.

Tikki smiled sheepishly at her from the kitchen counter. “Hello, Marinette.”

“You scared me, Tikki! And you’re lucky Adrien is still asleep - you could have blown my cover, just sitting out in the open like that!” Marinette pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to get her heart back under control. She glanced around the room, frowning. “Who were you talking to anyway?”

“Oh, um… myself.”

“...Yourself?”

“Y-yeah, I do that sometimes.” She began to talk more quickly, more panickedly. “You just don’t notice cuz I’m always with you so it’s never to myself!”

“Right… Well, stay of sight, okay? We won’t be here for much longer, I think. The roads should be cleared up in a couple hours.”

“Okay! I’ll do that. Sorry!” 

“Well, while you’re here,” Marinette said, sitting down on the couch. “I’ve been thinking…”

“What about?” Tikki floated over to sit on the back of the couch, giving Marinette a curious look.

“About Adrien. And me being Ladybug. I think… I think I’m ready to tell him.”

“Whaaat,” Tikki said, putting her paws to her face. “Are you sure? You haven’t known him for all that long.”

“I know, but I just feel such a strong connection with him.” Her cheeks warmed up a little. “And besides, our relationship is clearly moving pretty quickly. Sooner or later he’s going to start piecing things together, especially if Hawkmoth keeps it up. I got lucky with that first date and him not questioning my lame excuse. Who knows how long he’ll keep taking them at face value?”

“Well, if that’s what you want… Just make sure that you _only_ tell Adrien, okay? I will make a special exception just for him, since I know how much he means to you.”

Marinette smiled and rubbed behind Tikki’s antennae. “Thanks, Tikki. I’m glad you’re taking this so well. I was worried you were going to try to talk me out of it.”

“Let’s just say I have a good feeling about Adrien too.” Tikki giggled, but it was quickly cut off when her antennae twitched. “Something’s wrong.”

“What?”

“I’m… not sure. Maybe something with Hawkmoth?”

Marinette reached for her phone to check the Cat Chat. One of the many services it offered was a twitter feed that kept track of all akuma sightings. And sure enough there was a supervillain loose at this ungodly hour of the morning, someone looking like a steampunk cosplay gone wild. But it was more than that. 

At the akuma’s side loped a wolf made of black velvet with red button eyes. She would’ve thought it was cute in a fearsome sort of way if it weren’t for two things - the fact that it was bigger than an elephant and that when it howled it showed off rows and rows of sewing needle teeth, sharp and gleaming by the glow of the streetlights.

“What is that…?” Marinette whispered to herself.

“I’m not completely sure,” Tikki replied. “But I don’t think it was ever human.”

Marinette watched as it ripped up a full grown tree and tossed it. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “We’ve got to do something.”

“But- We need to wait for Chat Noir!”

“This time, we’ll be the ones buying the time. We can’t just let them run rampant across Paris while we wait for chaton to wake up.”

Tikki’s eyes widened and she stammered for a moment before finally saying, “What about Adrien?”

“...I’ll leave a note. I won’t tell him I’m Ladybug, that’s something I need to do in person, but he deserves to know I didn’t just bail on him. Hopefully, he’ll sleep through all this and wake up to a Paris at peace.”

Marinette took a deep breath.

“Tikki, spots on!”


	30. Purrince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir rushes to help Ladybug, who is fighting alone against an akuma and sentimonster team up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The penultimate chapter of this fic... You guys almost ready to see In Due Time reach its end?

Adrien woke to many voices talking all around him, each of them vying to be heard over the others. Propping himself up onto his elbows, he happened to glance over at the other side of the bed and in his tired state of mind had to work to remember why he was disappointed to see that it was empty like usual.

Then it all came back - the movies, the snow, Marinette - and it was like he’d been dunked in cold water. An apt analogy, he thought as he shivered against the cold of the room.

Which is when he finally started paying attention to the voices fluttering around him, voices that he now recognized as belonging to the kwami. 

“You’ve got-”

“-by herself-”

“-anything like this-”

Adrien held up his hands to quiet down the swarm of kwami. “Woah, woah. One at a time.” His eyes landed on Mullo first. “What’s happening?”

“We were talking with Tikki-”

“And Marinette rose from her slumber!” Longg cut in. 

“Right, then she woke up and we ran off, but she saw something on her… her…” Mullo rubbed their forehead. 

“Her phone,” Sass supplied, a concerned frown on his face. “Ssshe had ssseen a troubling omen upon the device.”

“Yes! That is what is the worst part!” Wayzz zoomed in front of Adrien’s face, panic in his voice. “Not long before that, I sensed the activation of Duusu’s miraculous, and I know Tikki felt it too!” 

Another miraculous at play? It had been ages since the peacock had been used. Did Hawkmoth have a new accomplice? According to his Guardian training, it was the perfect compliment to the Butterfly miraculous, letting whoever Hawkmoth had brought into this fight attack them with impunity. Just like with the butterfly miraculous.

Clamping down on the fear and worry that threatened to sink into his heart, Adrien slipped into serious mode. His face was set in determination as he turned to the kwamis.

“Marinette went to go fight, didn’t she?”

Wordless nods answered him.

Adrien cursed under his breath and leaped out of bed. “Of course she did. Being willing to jump in front of danger to protect people is half the reason I chose her in the first place. Plagg, claws out!”

\--------------

Ladybug remembered all the times she’d watched a closely matched akuma battle, whether it was in person or through videos on the Cat Chat. Even when she knew that he was going to win, she never liked seeing them. Imagining the pain he must be feeling whenever he gets a solid hit landed on him, or when his attacks just bounce off the villain of the day… it always drove a spike through her heart. Even more so when he was on his own. 

But she no longer needed to imagine that sort of pain, because now she was living through it. 

Although calling this a close akuma battle would be very generous. It was a two versus one beat down that Ladybug was only barely managing to keep fighting. What she needed to do was buy time for her to summon her Lucky Charm, but right now just staying on her feet and keeping ahead of her enemies was taking all her focus. 

The pole she’d snagged with her yoyo was melted by a crackling beam of purple energy. Without an anchor to swing from, suddenly she was falling instead of flying. She hit the ground hard, sliding along the frozen roads for a few seconds before a parked car stopped her momentum. While she tried to recover, a shadow fell over her - the akumatized villain of the day with their cybernetic-looking body. Then the gigantic fabric wolf loomed over him, his maw of sewing needles wide open.

“The likelihood of you outrunning us approaches zero, Designate Ladybug,” the akuma, Shockwave, said in a mechanically even tone. “My partner approaches his maximum capacity for violence. Any further and I will be unable to contain his fury.” He held out a hand. “Submit your miraculous to me and survive.”

Ladybug focused on her earrings and glared at the akuma. “I will _never_ give up.”

“So be it.”

Just as the cybernetic akuma tried to make a grab for her, Ladybug imagined a void inside her, envisioned the power flowing from her earrings and filling that massive space. Just as the akuma was about to make contact with her, she grabbed his wrist and let all the power flow out in one big pulse. 

She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but strong roots bursting out from underneath the snow covered pavement of Paris hadn’t exactly been her vision. The roots snared the akuma, holding him in place at the same time that they pulled down the black velvet wolf into the ground, paws deep. 

“ERROR THIS TACTIC WAS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR!” The akuma yelled in anger as Ladybug scrambled to get some distance. A fist that crackled with purple energy was pointed toward her, too close to dodge…

...Only for dodging to be made unnecessary as Chat Noir landed on his head and pushed him to the ground. 

“And here I was, worried that you’d gotten in over your head, little witch.” His tone was teasing, but there was fear lurking in his eyes. 

“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll always be my _purr_ ince charming, come to save the day.”

Chat snickered at her pun, but the sounds of snapping roots cut their conversation short. She looked past Chat to see the wolf snaring and gnawing at the plants. It wouldn’t be held for much longer.

“Quick - best guess as to where this guy’s akuma is hidden?” Chat backflipped off of the cyborg akuma to pin him down with his baton. 

“I’m going to guess… this!” Ladybug took the red visor off from over his eyes and broke them in her hands. 

Just as she hoped, the black butterfly pulled itself out from inside. No sooner had she cleansed it than the sounds of the last few vines snapping reached her ears. 

“ _That_ ,” Chat said, nodding toward the thrashing wolf, “isn’t a person, right?”

“Yes, I’m certain of it.”

“Good.” He pushed the newly de-akumatized man toward her and propelled himself backwards with his extending baton. “Cataclysm!”

His claws ripped the seam of the wolf, exposing the fluffy stuffing within. Green and black electricity danced across its body, and seemed to confuse it. It thrashed against buildings and ran in circles, narrowly missing stepping on Chat, before finally bounding away from them. 

Chat huffed and nodded toward the trail of stuffing. “C’mon, I get the feeling we’ll need to follow it, even if all we do is keep people from getting squished.”

Once she’d caught up to him with her swings, she asked mid-run, “Is that another of your gut feelings?”

“Something like that,” he replied. “Where do you think it might be heading?”

Ladybug frowned as she looked around. It was a section of the city that held a few mansions for the particularly well-to-do. 

“Maybe its going back to whoever made it?”

Chat raised an eyebrow. “With the exception of stumbling across you, I’ve never been _that_ lucky.”

Ladybug smiled. “Thanks, chaton. I- Wait. Do you see that?”

There was a hole in the ground within the fence of a mansion that they couldn’t see very well by the streetlights alone. In contrast to the other mansions, it was almost completely dark outside.

Chat frowned. “Something about this seems… familiar.” He shook his head and began climbing down the hole. “Come on.”

After a few minutes, they reached the bottom. They arrived just in time to see the wolf, now almost completely out of stuffing, turn into a mess of purple goo before vanishing entirely. There were claw and teeth marks etched into a concrete wall. 

Chat glanced at her. She nodded. 

His claws were engulfed in the black energy of his cataclysm before being scrapped along the concrete wall. It crumbled to dust before blowing away. A mass of white pushed past the two of them and it took her a moment to realize that it was a whole host of faintly glowing butterflies. 

She looked down into the room that had been exposed.

Looking back up at them, hate and rage and a hint of fear in his eyes, was none other than Hawkmoth.


	31. Time Travel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir and Ladybug bring Hawkmoth down, but at what cost?

Chat Noir stared into the face of his archnemesis of the last eight years, the architect of so much of his suffering, the mastermind behind the terror that had gripped Paris for the better part of a decade. He wanted to say he felt anger at the sight of him or even satisfaction at having cornered him, but looking at him, all he felt was pity. 

Clearly wielding such dark powers for so long had left their toll on him. Hawkmoth was hunched over as if carrying a heavy weight and what little Chat could see of his skin was wrinkled and paperthin. The cane that the butterfly miraculous supplied him was more a necessary tool than a weapon at this point. Was his opponent older than Chat had anticipated, or was he using way more power than he could handle?

Judging based on the peacock brooch attached to his lapel alongside a butterfly amulet, Chat Noir figured it was the latter.

Just when he was about to launch into his heroic speech signifying the start of their epic showdown between good and evil, Hawkmoth did something he’d never expected.

Hawkmoth ran (well, more accurately, hobbled) away, down the one tunnel leading out of the room.

“I can’t believe this…” Chat said as he leapt down. Ladybug was right behind him. 

“What, did you think he’d just let you beat him up?”

“I was kind of hoping, yeah!” Chat shook his head as they dashed down the hall. “Seems only fair since it took me _eight years_ to get here, you know?”

“Something tells me Hawkmoth isn’t that concerned about what is or isn’t fair, chaton.”

They emerged into an open room that almost looked like an underground greenhouse. Staff in hand, Chat advanced cautiously into the room, taking note of the small cocoons that dotted the many plants. Why did Hawkmoth need them? His miraculous shouldn’t need _actual_ butterflies to function. Unless even those basic powers were denied to him.

His eyes landed on Hawkmoth, his back up against some sort of machine. Chat had no clue what its purpose could be.

“It’s over, Hawkmoth!” Ladybug stepped forward in a battle stance, her yoyo spinning into a shield beside her. “Surrender your miraculous!”

“Never!” Hawkmoth rushed forward, raising his cane high…

The battle was over practically as soon as it started. As it turns out, there were benefits to fighting for your life nearly everyday for eight years, and very few to having other people fight on your behalf. That wasn’t even getting into how it was two versus one, nor how weak and feeble Hawkmoth had been made by his prolonged misuse of his miraculous.

Holding the damaged Peacock miraculous in his hand, Chat Noir frowned. “I can’t believe you’d wreck my stuff like this, Hawkbutt! It’ll take me an entire afternoon to fix it.”

“You _impudent_ -”

“Yeah yeah save the name calling for prison. Speaking of which, let’s see where we need to call the police to.” Chat turned to Ladybug with a bow. “Would you care to do the honors?”

“Are you sure?” Ladybug glanced between them. “He’s been _your_ enemy for eight years.”

“No, he’s been all of Paris’s enemy for eight years. Go ahead and unmask him, on behalf of all the people he has tormented.”

Ladybug narrowed her eyes, steely determination settling on her face as she nodded. She turned to Hawkmoth, who tried to squirm away, but tied to a post next to the machine like he was, he couldn’t escape. She ripped the Butterfly miraculous off his lapel and his transformation dropped.

Ladybug gasped.

“No…” Standing there before there with a look of hatred in his eyes was none other than his own father, Gabriel Agreste.

“Poor Adrien…” Ladybug has whispered it, but in the cavernous silence, it echoed like a thunderclap.

“How _dare_ you speak his name! This was all _for_ Adrien!”

Chat’s eyes flew open and he rushed forward, grabbing fistfuls of the senior Agreste’s nightshirt. “What in the HELL makes you think he’d want this?! Why would he want you to terrorize all of Paris?!”

With a sneer, Gabriel replied, “Because of who I would be bringing back.”

Gabriel swiftly kicked the machine he was pinned next to, pressing a button on its bottom half. The hum of electronics activating filled the room as all three of them watched in stunned silence. Metal plates slide up, revealing a glass sarcophagus inside.

Chat Noir was, for the first time in a very long time, at a loss for words. Ladybug was not.

“Is that… Emilie Agreste?”

“She fell sick… almost ten years ago. The doctors couldn’t help her. But there was a way… I just needed to find two objects and I could do anything I wanted…”

Eyes locked on his… maybe dead, maybe comatose mother, Chat Noir had no choice but to take in all the details. Which is when he started noticing things.

“She was a miraculous user.” It wasn’t a question so much as a statement. The signs were there - not just mystical ones like the dark energy on her, but the fact that his fath- that Gabriel just so happened to have two miraculous.

“How did- Yes. She was.”

“No wonder she couldn’t be helped.” All emotion had drained from Chat’s voice. “She was sick from using a broken miraculous.”

“Nonsense, I-”

“And that’s why you’ve only been getting worse.” Chat finally managed to tear his eyes off of the body of his mother. “You’ve been trying to use the peacock and the butterfly at the same time for a while, haven’t you?”

“If it means getting that much closer to saving her, then I will gladly lay down my life!”

“Like you laid down the life of your assistant?”

“That- she volunteered!”

“Don’t worry, you won’t be following her.” The emotionless quality in his voice had been replaced by something much colder.

“I’m already infected. My days are numbered…” He grinned evilly. “Unless you use the miraculous to save me, of course.”

“There is no need. The Guardian can heal this disease.”

The grin vanished. “...What?”

“Did you think this was the first time this had ever happened?” Chat Noir took satisfaction in seeing the dismayed look dawn on Gabriel’s face. “The Guardian can halt the sickness and then the body can recover in time.”

“Then- you could- Emilie-”

“No,” Ladybug said, standing up from where she had crouched next to the sarcophagus. There was a sadness in her eyes as she turned around, but it wasn’t for Gabriel. “Emilie Agreste is dead.”

Despite having lived with her death for years, hearing it said out loud sent a spike through his heart. Chat Noir closed his eyes and looked to the side, forcing back the tears.

“Don’t you _dare_ pity me!” Gabriel roared. “JUST BRING HER BACK!”

“We can’t,” Chat whispered. “She’s gone and now you’ll have to live with that.”

There was more yelling, more cursing by Gabriel, but Chat’s mind was somewhere else entirely. 

It was nine years ago, when Nathalie was telling him the news that his mother had gone missing. It was days later, when Gabriel insisted that Emilie would return to them eventually. Or months later, when, at fourteen years old, he had to go alone to his mother’s funeral. And all the intervening years when he’d gotten… _angry_ with Adrien for moving on. When he’d suggested Gabriel see new people. Or how he’d refuse to go with Adrien to visit Emilie’s grave. 

Holding onto that bitter hatred. Never letting go. For nine years.

All the times that Gabriel forced him to cut off ties with other people, kept him under lock and key inside the cold and empty mansion. He had known his father was a control freak, but he’d never expected… but it made sense. Who else would be better suited for a villain who took over other people, forced them to do what _he_ wanted, no matter what they thought?

They eventually found their way up and contacted the police. The rest of the night was a blur. He remembered a few concerned looks from his partner, the frothing rage of his father, and shaking hands with the chief of police. 

Then he was home - _his_ home. 

His thoughts began spiraling. He started pacing and talking to himself, only vaguely aware of the crowd of kwami he was drawing.

“"That son of a…” He clenched his fists at his sides. “I can't believe he... except I CAN believe it…” 

He stared out the window for a long time, anger seething inside him before pacing again. “And now the bastard's going to jail and I'm never going to get a moment's peace… anything even remotely associated with the Agreste name is going to be put under a microscope and dissected and torn apart and....”

His eyes widened. A chill ran down his spin as he made a sudden and terrible realization.

“…and Marinette."

No. Hawkmoth could screw up everything else. He could neglect his son and bring the grief for Emilie back to the surface. He could destroy his own fashion empire and his name could crumble with it for all Adrien cared. Hawkmoth could wreck, had wrecked everything. But he didn’t get to hurt her. 

Whatever Adrien had to do to keep Marinette out of this damn mess, he would do it. No matter how much it hurt him.

Reluctantly, Adrien pulled out his phone and started figure out what he was going to say to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that brings us to the end of Marichat May! I'm very grateful to those of you who have been reading along and those of you who might be reading at some point in the future after everything has been posted. Thank you for reading this far, but you may have some questions still.
> 
> For example - why does the tag say "eventual happy ending"? And why is a lot still left unanswered?
> 
> And why is this suddenly part of a series?
> 
> Yes, gentle reader, you may have noticed that this is only part one of two - the rest of this story will be told starting tomorrow as my contribution for Ladrien June. If you want to see how this story ends, then be sure to stop in tomorrow to read "Stay With Me?"!


End file.
